"The Secret"

4 Jan 2007

Happy New Year to you all!!!!

There was an entry here from December 13 that I decided to take down a couple of days ago -- and I've had a number of e-mails from people wanting to read it. It has gone away and I can't recreate it, but I will do my best to re-state my issue here:

This is a self-acknowledged rant. (We may be "enlightened", but we're still human. *wink wink*)

It has been brought to my attention that the version of "The Secret" that is currently available has been edited to remove the portions containing Esther Hicks/Abraham.

The original version with the Esther clips intact is the only version I endorse. I have not yet received my copy of the December Spiritual Cinema Circle DVD which has the new version of "The Secret", but when I do receive it I will watch it immediately and change my position if necessary.

There is a form of internet marketing out there that was developed by one of the "teachers" featured in "The Secret". (To hear him tell it, he's actually the "star" of the movie.) He's made a lot of money as an internet marketing guru -- as evidenced by the scale filled with gold coins as the "symbol" behind him in the movie -- and has turned his focus now to the "spiritual" arena.

The main focus of this type of marketing is to hit your triggers so that you are "hypnotized" into buying the product or service. (In fact, his strategy is called "Hypnotic Marketing".) It involves a great deal of copy in the body of the sales piece (I may have lots of copy...but it's only because I'm a blabber-mouth), a sense of urgency ("Hurry and order today -- this price is only good until Tuesday!"), and the promise of a ton of "bonuses" that are yours when you buy, buy, buy. By the way, these bonuses are from "affiliates" all selling the same types of products. You must provide your name and e-mail address to receive them. You are now on their mailing lists and will receive regular sales letters.

The formula behind this process is (in the words of this "teacher") "Find the fear. Provide a 'solution' to the fear. The greater the fear, the more you can charge for your product."

Another key feature of this process is to offer just enough information in one product so that you are compelled to buy the next product and the next and the next. In fact, this man proudly claims to be the "author of way too many books to list here." And more are on the way.

So...it seems that the marketing of "The Secret" has been taken over by this school of thought -- the "sequel" is in the works at this minute -- and it saddens me.

It is my belief that this form of marketing is far from The Law of Attraction at work. It's the same-old-same-old song and dance that most of us distanced ourselves from long ago. Using triggers to manipulate people in order to get their money is not my idea of allowing The Law of Attraction to work its magic at all.

As I said -- I haven't seen the new edition. When I do, I'll give you my opinion. I've been told that some people new to LOA have found the current version of the movie to be enlightening and inspiring -- and for that I'm grateful.

Find a copy of the original if you can. I know there are copies on eBay -- search "The Secret Esther Hicks". There are several copies -- they are a bit pricey, but worth it in my opinion. (No...I'm not one of the sellers on eBay, nor are any of my family or friends.)

As far as the marketing strategy outlined above, the word of the day is "discernment" -- if you feel as if you are being pushed into something that won't be there unless you act this minute...take a breath and see who benefits.
And my endorsement of "The Secret" is only of the original at this time.

Linda

"The Secret" - Again

12 Feb 2007

I have watched the new version of "The Secret" -- and stand by my original "rant." (Click here to read the first article.) It appears that I'm much more upset about this than the people involved, so this will most likely be the last I'll say about it.

When asked about their non-participation, this is the response from Esther and Jerry Hicks and Abraham:

THE SECRET
The Television Movie
From Jerry & Esther

Dear Friends,

Nearly two years ago, while on-board our Mexican Riviera Cruise, Prime Time Productions did an interview with Jerry and me, and with Abraham, in response to an agreement that we had all carefully crafted together for a television show that was to be aired in Australia called "The Secret." We were told that "The Secret" would be based on our work and that they would seek out other teachers who were in alignment with our work. We reviewed, on DVD, two other projects that had been created by this production company and found them to be beautifully done, and good-feeling pieces.

Since Jerry and I had never before stepped into the public forum in that way with our Abraham work, we followed the advice of our publisher, who introduced us to an intellectual property rights attorney who assisted us in drafting the agreement which would guide our involvement with this project. He explained to us that although he had included in the intellectual property rights license agreement that we were to receive a small percentage of the net profit from this project, and 10% of direct video sales, that it was very unlikely that (from his experience) we would receive any substantial compensation from our participation, and we were not unhappy with that arrangement. Our decision to do it was not motivated from the idea of making money from it, (unless there was profit to share) but because we were stimulated by the excitement of this beautiful producer, and when we met her and her beautiful crew, we easily loved them all.

As time went by, it became apparent that the television network that we had been told would air "The Secret" was not going to do it, at least not right now, and so the production company began seeking other ways of marketing their beautiful project to recoup their very large investment. While Jerry and I were uncomfortable with what felt to us like a rather aggressive marketing campaign (just not our style, nothing wrong with it) we stayed focused on our busy schedule and really had very little to do with what was happening with "The Secret."

Eventually we received an email from the producer of "The Secret" lovingly explaining (we never have received correspondence from her that was anything other than extremely loving) that the contract that we had all agreed upon and signed was no longer sufficient for their further distribution of the project in the areas they were now seeking to distribute the project, and that it would be necessary for us (Jerry and Esther) to relinquish our intellectual property rights in these areas forever and redo our contract or they would have to reluctantly edit us out. It was clear, from the lovingly written email that they did not want to edit us out, but after conferring with our publisher, and then our intellectual property rights attorney, and finally with Abraham, allowing them to edit us out was the path of least resistance. Abraham's words were very clear and easy to understand: "Whenever you are given an ultimatum that says, 'if you don't do this, then we will have to do such and such,' it is best that you just let it go and move on. Otherwise there is always another, and this, and this, and this…"

Now, it seems there is quite a firestorm surrounding our dis-involvment with "The Secret". We are receiving so many emails and letters and face-to-face questions from disappointed people regarding this, so we want you to understand how we feel about it.

We think that "The Secret" clearly and beautifully presents Abraham's Law of Attraction in a way that is easy to understand. It is filled with stunning beauty and beautiful people, many of whom are our personal friends. We love the way "The Secret" moves us, and we feel joy rise within our hearts every time we watch it. We feel the power of it, and the clarity of it, and we love "The Secret".

It is our desire that, rather than being upset that our part of "The Secret" will be omitted in future offerings of it, that instead you enjoy the original Abraham version, as it is, at this time, and that you look forward to what other incredible things these talented people may bring to you. These are people who clearly care about the planet, who want to be of value, and who, in our opinion, are of tremendous value.

Financially speaking, we have been very well paid for our participation with this project… which has amounted to a staggering amount of money. And if money were the most important factor, we assure you, we would have found some way of staying involved.

So, we're out here doing our thing, enjoying the incredible expansion of the message of Abraham, and are so looking forward to the wonderful things that are in our future. Abraham says to us and to you:

It is our desire that you be easy about all of this. There is nothing that has gone wrong here. Everything is in alignment. The Universe will offer a steady stream of uplifting avenues to all of you.

There is great love here for you, Abraham.

Our love,
Jerry & Esther

OK...This is the LAST "Secret" Article...

27 Feb 2007

Good morning --

I think we're close to having had about enough of "The Secret" for now -- but I thought this was an interesting assessment from MSN...about as mainstream as it gets. The most interesting part for me is the statement by Joe Vitale (he's the marketing "genius" behind the movie's meteoric rise)...now he thinks it's missing something. WOW!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17314883/site/newsweek/from/ET/ (This link no longer works so I took out the hyperlink. It was a clip of Joe Vitale talking about the sequel to "The Secret" that will tell what's missing from the original.)


Here's the deal -- the Law of Attraction is just that -- a Law in the Universe. It works whether you believe in it or not. Philosophers, gurus, writers, and thinkers from all walks of life have been aware of and sharing the Law of Attraction for centuries.

Unfortunately, the marketing effort behind "The Secret" has chosen to focus on the money and "stuff" aspects alone. It's easy to ridicule it from that standpoint -- and most people leave with only a partial understanding of how it works.

Think wonderful thoughts, watch what the Universe is sending your way -- and have a wonderful day!

I Guess I'm Not Done With "The Secret"

18 Mar 2007


As my daughter used to say when she was little, "WOW and EEEEE!"

The saga of "The Secret" just keeps getting more and more amazing. And I feel it's my calling to keep you up to date on how you are being SOLD by these "Teachers."

Without a rant, I'll just point out a few recent events:

Lisa Nichols on "Larry King Live" told a caller that The Law of Attraction doesn't apply to children. I wanted to call and ask her if she had an age that it kicks in -- and does it start on the birthday? Could it happen within a range of dates? When?

The Law of Attraction applies to all beings in the Universe -- that's why it's called a Law.

Dr. Joe Vitale, the "star" of "The Secret" and internet marketing guru has a new program. It's called "The Missing Secret" and you can read all about it at http://www.miraclescoaching.com.

James Ray, Jack Canfield, and Loral Langemeier are other "teachers" you can get up close and personal with -- they're appearing at The Learning Annex Real Estate and Wealth Expos with Tony Robbins, "Magic" Johnson, George Foreman, Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Atlantic) and...DONALD TRUMP! If this resonates with you, you can find more information at http://www.learningannex.com/.

Bob Proctor, Dr. Michael Beckwith, and Jack Canfield (busy guy!) have a new approach to "The Secret" -- they are taking a FREE (yes, you read that correctly -- FREE) book, "The Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace Wattles, and turning it into a Multi-level Marketing program! Read all about their plan at http://theofficialsecretseminar.com/.
If you're curious about the magic of this book and how they can charge $1995 for it (no, I didn't leave out the decimal point -- it's nearly $2000!), please feel free to download your copy here:

The Science of Getting Rich


So -- that's the latest in the world of "The Secret". The narrator in "The Secret" makes a point of saying that this information has been hidden for centuries -- and given the way it's being presented by these folks, it's still hidden!

UPDATE -

The program offered by Mr. Proctor, Dr. Beckwith, and Mr. Canfield - "The Master Teachers of The Secret" -  is now "new and improved!" (There's even a seal to make it official.) It is now called the SGR Club - meaning "The Science of Getting Rich" Club. Your entire package, which includes the book available above at no charge, is $1995 plus $29.97 shipping. It comes with a 10-day money-back guarantee. So does the book above. :>)