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Why Doesn’t the “Law of Attraction” Always Work?
When a metaphysical “law” proves inconsistent
Is mind the ultimate reality?
Generations of mind-power mystics, from Ernest Holmes and Neville Goddard to Joseph Murphy and Florence Scovel Shinn certainly believed so. Murphy articulated that thesis to a global audience with his book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. Since the book’s publication in 1963, however, new complexities have entered our lives.
For one thing, we live longer, and hence must contend with social and health questions, from eldercare and end-of-life issues to mental decline and chronic disease, which were less common to earlier generations. Also, we understand more today about the genetic, hereditary, and biological factors in wellness, health, and longevity.
Most positive-mind mystics did not close their eyes to science or discount its advances. Murphy himself was a trained chemist. But, again, the minister believed that all of our knowledge is superseded and governed by the ultimate law of mental creativity. Or what is sometimes called the “Law of Attraction.” (For my part, I prefer the term selection.) When faced with life’s complexities — and seeming contradictions — we may question this point.
