An Interview With My Masters: What is the The Law of Attraction
From the teachings of Nabir
I am a spiritual seeker and a profession forecaster and futurist. I describe myself to others as a “Sherpa that predicts, and guides extraordinary individuals in climbing the Mount Everest in their life.”
I’ve encountered many important teachers, mentors, and coaches over my 72 plus years here, on what Bucky Fuller calls “Spaceship Earth”. As I sat in front of, worked with, and studied with all these generous and magnificent teachers, I kept voluminous notes.
Over the last decade, I began organizing all of the notes I had accumulated from listening to amazing futurists and other amazing thought leaders, and teachers.
In time, I merged the essential, universal lessons they offered, and created a series of dialogues, conversations or discussions to openly explore ideas, especially to resolve a predictive as well, as physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual problem.
Dialogues, rather then debates are of great interest to me. This was a method of communication I had studied in college where I spent a semester reading and exploring the Dialogues of Plato (about his teacher Socrates).
Ultimately, I merged the teachings I had absorbed over five and a half decades into a type of Socratic dialogue.
Here, I created a fictional teacher named Nabir (Nanak-Kabir). A retired scientists, and a sort of general wisdom teacher. Through these Medium stories, he will offer wisdom. This is wisdom based on what I had gathered bit by bit, from each of the teachers I studied with, or who had influenced me the most.
Todays conversation with Nabir is about the Law of Attraction, the Secret, and the Chinese concept of Wu-wei.
Today’s talk by Nabir explores how the use of intention, expressed through thought, and word can manifest a specific desired “thing” without the necessity of great physical action.
Q. I often hear this term “The Law of Attraction” when people speak about manifestation, creating abundance, and such. What exactly does this term actually mean?
A. It’s just a non-specific general theory that states that if a person’s thought processes are clear and their intention is focused, then those things they desire or need will come to them spontaneously and without struggle.
Q. Since there are a few best-selling books on the Law of Attraction, such as The Secret and the much earlier Power of Positive Thinking, is it assumed that the Law of Attraction works to create positive results?
A. You could say this, but if you do, it will limit the conversation in a way that would be undesirable. For example, critics of the theory point out that if thought and word can manifest a result, then if you become gravely ill or have an accident we could say that you are responsible. This is an interesting point concerning the most esoteric elements of the Law of Attraction, but it is not a valid point on other more logical aspects of the Law of Attraction that we will soon address.
Q. What are some of the criticisms of this concept?
A. Critics have asserted that the evidence provided is unmeasurable, usually anecdotal, and that because of the self-selecting nature of the positive reports, as well as the subjective nature of any results, these reports are susceptible to what Game Theory would call “confirmation bias” and “selection bias”. Critics point out that the law of attraction only seems to work because most of the anecdotes associated with the theory are about people who live in circumstances that offer some path allowing them to overcome adversity. Much of the world, unfortunately, does not offer these escape routes to ordinary people, no matter how “positively” they think.
Others are critical of the attempts of certain proponents of the Law of Attraction to use quantum physics to explain previously unexplained or seemingly implausible effects.
From the strictest analysis of the idea, it could be said that there is no scientific evidence that thoughts can affect anything outside the head.
Since the Law of Attraction is quite general, and may be expressed many different ways, all of these criticisms have some validity in certain situations. However, this does not completely negate the concept.
Q. You call it a non-specific general theory. Does this mean it isn’t so, or that it is unscientific?
A. Neither. Let’s talk about focus and the Law of Attraction, since there are many aspects to the Law of Attraction. Some of these are obvious and can be easily demonstrated while other aspects border on the metaphysical and esoteric. In an educational situation one would be working with both left brain and right brain elements.
Q. I don’t want to discard this idea of manifestation, but most explanations seem somewhat superficial. Is there a more developed way of thinking about this event or process?
A. Yes. In Chinese philosophy, specifically Mystic Taoism, there is the concept of Wu wei, translated as meaning the action that requires no action. This is a practical philosophy of minimalism, detachment, non-interference, and manifestation. This is clearly a counterintuitive way of thinking for the person who assumes that an aggressive position relates to strength and power.
Q. This is really interesting. Can you explain this concept on even greater depth please?
A. If you can distinguish between your wants and your needs, Wei” or non-interference, will automatically begin to “kick-in”. Wu-wei, also translated as “the action that does not interfere” or “the action that has no action,” is a Taoist approach to the handling of external affairs. It is the exact equivalent of laissez-faire, a policy or attitude of letting things take their own course, without interfering.
Q. Is there some technique or method for creating a state of Wu wei?
A. Yes and no. It may sound like a contradiction or paradox, yet Wu wei is a state of non-action that is active rather than passive.
Q. Is there any way to illustrate this idea, so it would make sense to a beginner student?
A. It is like a bird gliding on the wind. Likely. you have seen a bird in the sky just floating along on the wind. For a bird it is instinctive on every level. For humans? Maybe not so much?
Q. I understand. Still, I can’t even imagine how I or anyone might go about doing this?
A. One thing is sure, it can’t be achieved through laziness or resignation to circumstance. Rather, it arrives through a focused, attentive mind, and clear thinking. Through this attentive mind comes tolerance and humility, and an ability to manifest what is needed at any particular moment.
Q. Can you be even more specific?
A. Today, the new hip trend is being about being “Mindful”. What do you think mindfulness is? Ram Das talked about this back in the 1970s in his important book “Be Here Now.” To enter a state of mindfulness, as related to We-wei and the Law of Attraction, you need to free your mind from regret, and expectation. Then you need to discard any attachment to what you think you want. Then you need to do some introspection on what you need. Then Wu wei enters your thoughts, words, and deeds.
Q. This sounds more like a practice or discipline of un-doing rather than doing?
A. Wu-Wei does not imply that there is value in doing nothing. To live in the world is to act. Wu wei means to act without attachment and without emotional investment. It implies going with the flow of natural law without attempting to control or take charge of that flow.
Q. How would all this effect a person’s emotional health?
A. This action through non-action is actually the path to emotional and material freedom. This concept is described in entries #38 and #81 in the Tao Te Ching.
Q. Is meditation part of this process?
A. Yes. It is through an inner journey — through meditation — that the spiritual seeker comes to understand Wu-Wei. It is also through meditation that a person develops a greater recognition of their authentic self. They in a sense are the divine itself here, as part of, but distinct from the divine essence.
Q. You use the word divine here. Are you referring to God here?
A. Yes, No, and Maybe. Don’t go into your intellect on this one. Think of all this like the mist dancing off of an ocean wave. You are the mist! How do you separate that mist! For a Nano second it is mist. Then it merges back into the ocean from hence it came. We are a mist coming off the divine, or sacred.
Q. Where does meditation fit in all of this?
A. Meditation clarifies that it is not simply some religious belief that will bring one salvation, enlightenment, or to an Awakened state. For there is no salvation out there to achieve. It all lies within.
Q. How would you explain this to a person living in a state of intentional ignorance?
A. You wouldn’t! I don’t mean to insult anyone with what I am about to say, but it is an old common cliché, and an effective one. “Never try and teach a pig to sing. It’s a waste of your time, and it just bothers the pig!
The viewpoint held by ordinary or common people, the intentionally ignorant, is that awareness of the ways of the world is not that important. For them the most important things are status, what George Carlin says about “stuff”, and the qualities of great physical beauty and obvious strength.
Q, Is this way of thinking bad?
A It has nothing to do with good or bad. It is natural for anyone, in the ordinary sense, to seek out and be drawn to power, influence, status, wealth, and whatever gives you short term gratification. We also seek out or are drawn to those who are.
- attractive,
- elegant,
- strong,
- dominant.
Without a sense of Wu wei, we will likely seek to master life by controlling, seducing, and conquering all that surrounds us. Television, film, and YouTube images are often projected to celebrate victory through violence or cunning. Television shows focus on the ordinary lives of those with extraordinary physical symmetry and beauty. Unfortunately, we confuse glamour with elegance.
Q. How can an extraordinary person develop healthy relationships with ordinary, and intentionally ignorant folks?
A. Just listen to them and be kind. Don’t think you are better than them, more aware, or more spiritual. Just be, as they say “emotionally intelligent!”
Q. Explain how one might integrate the Law if Attraction, Wu wei, and mindfulness?
A. These values are the most valued by the great spiritual teachers. The Chinese sage, Lao Tzu, celebrates the weak, the submissive, and the yielding. He does so because these are the very qualities that Tao exhibits. Tao, an essence of creation that “Is” but can’t be described, only experienced is mentioned in numerous places in the Tao Te Ching. Lao also points out the power of water, which is “the softest thing in the world … will wear away even the hardest rocks.” Softness for Lao is strength, not weakness.
Q. There is so much here to think about. It seems that there are no further questions here. Do you have any final thoughts to share?
A. It is important that those people who are committed to a successful, contented, economically abundant, meaningful, happy, and struggle-free life take a few moments every morning to explore those things that are important to them, an expression of their passion, and then do those things, then live life through Wu-Wei. By doing this, their logical fallacies fall away, and that can also become a more skillful forecaster
Here is a Medium story on this subject @ruchilove
Here is one from the archives @LewisCoaches
This story is an excerpt from my Module for making the best choices, from my book and online Course, “Beyond Thought”.
To learn more email me at [email protected]
Author: Lewis Harrison is a Manifestation Coach, professional futurist (forecaster), and a philanthropy consultant. He is the creator of the Ask Lewis Mentoring Method as well as HAGT — Harrison’s Applied Game Theory. He is the Executive Director of the International Association of Healing Professionals an educational organization that offers programs around the world in Intentional Living. He is also Independent Scholar, with a passion for knowledge, personal development, self-improvement, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. You can read all of his Medium stories at [email protected].
For a decade, Lewis was the host of a humor-based Q & A talk show on NPR (National Public Radio) affiliated WIOX FM in NY.
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If you have any ideas you would like me to write about, just email me at [email protected] or check out all of my books, blogs, and videos through my portal www.asklewis.com
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