There are few people in the world today who would dismiss “The Law of Attraction” as the basis for self-actualization in the modern world. However, a key is missing in the way we implement this natural law.
First, it might better be called the law of resonance. Like does not attract like, like attracts a resounding reaction. But, that’s just semantics. The fact is that thought becomes reality. What we think is what we get and if our subconscious is full of positive thoughts, our life will be filled with positive results and we can literally think about the richness of our existence. On the other hand, “The Law of Attraction” is a two-way street. If our subconscious is full of negative thoughts, our life will be full of negative events.
Much of our subconscious is filled with the attitudes that have been imposed on us. From our parents who say no, don’t do that, to well-meaning peers and teachers telling us to work hard, go to school, and get a good job, to TV commercials that fill us with nonsensical jokes. They probably all meant well, but this constant negative input has destroyed any real chance of being truly self-actualized.
Early on (during high school) I read the classic work on the “Law of Attraction”, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. He made a very strong case for “The Law” and I found that he began to change. my life around However, I always thought there was more to this than just visualizing to make the necessary changes to my subconscious beliefs.
I have always found that the simple visualization taught by Hill and many of today’s top self-help gurus is missing something. Simple visualization brings up conflicts between the conscious and subconscious mind. You can start by visualizing your end goal, but within a few minutes, the subconscious strikes back bringing up all the negative thoughts that have taken hold over the years and with a simple visualization, many people end up worse off than they were before they tried it. to institute “The Law of Attraction”.
A few years later, while attending a PPA (Professional Photographers of America) meeting, I turned to my friend Jack Haynes and since the conference was extremely boring, we went to the local coffee shop. During our little meeting, I mentioned that I was having trouble with “The Law” and visualization. It turned out that Jack was only a part-time press photographer because he loved the thrill of the job. His true calling in life was as a clinical hypnotherapist. He explained that my problem with simple visualization was very common and that if I really wanted to make changes in my subconscious, hypnosis was the missing key.
He sat me down for the next 5 days and I went through several hypnosis sessions. Now all of a sudden I could easily visualize my dreams and goals and my whole world was turned upside down (in a good way). The key that was missing for “The Law” to work for me was hypnosis. Within a week, I quit my dead-end job at the local newspaper and suddenly found myself receiving assignments from the Associated Press, the New York Times, and both the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Bulletin. I had suddenly become a hot commodity and often had to turn down a job if it created a conflict of interest.
What was missing from the visualization was the key to hypnosis. It speaks directly to the subconscious and there is no internal mental conflict.
Of course, consulting a clinical hypnotist can be quite expensive, but as an alternative, there are many extremely good hypnosis sessions available on recorded media (CDs, tapes, and MP3s). Not only do they work great, but for the most part they are pretty inexpensive. One note of caution, there are also a ton of subliminal products available and while they may work very well too, you can’t be sure what you’re getting. Many of the more expensive subliminal programs have been found to have no message at all. If you choose to give subliminals a try, try to get some feedback from someone who has had experience with the product you are considering.
Either way, if you really want the “Law of Attraction” to work for you and not against you, consider hypnosis as an alternative to simple visualization. It has made a world of difference to me.