The Dark Side of 'The Secret'

[davey72]

I am glad this thread was never deleted.

 

[TheEmpyreanDancer]

Oy. I tried watching that documentary and when I saw a girl around my age look through a glass window at a necklace and puts her hand on her chest and her expression is all "Oh what a beautiful necklace!!!" The next scene is her receiving the necklace as a gift from her boyfriend like magic. I laughed.

 

[Denis]

I think this RSA Animate - Smile or Die video fits perfectly with the subject of this thread.

Acclaimed journalist, author and political activist Barbara Ehrenreich explores the darker side of positive thinking.

 

[Kindle]

What is wrong with Oprah?? I loved watching Oprah!

I strongly disliked her "My Favourite Things" where she bought and gave all the things that she loved to her audience each free.

I will say tho, I did notice she started to feel like her heart or her warmth turned off around the year 2000.

Is it Oprah that people on this forum are not liking or her show and what she endorses?? Or both?

Perhaps she is being strongly influenced by negative forces but is a good person inside. I am being open to this right now as I question myself and my beliefs about Oprah and her show.

I have had so many things to go through and process that I have missed this one. I loved Oprah and trusted her show.

What have I missed?

Also, just remembered, I also bought into The Secret and praised it everywhere. It worked. But it was so tiring
This is what attracted me to this thread. Another program I need to process and understand.

 

[Gimpy]

What have I missed?

Many many things. ;)

Also, just remembered, I also bought into The Secret and praised it everywhere. It worked. But it was so tiring
This is what attracted me to this thread. Another program I need to process and understand.

If it really worked, it would not drain you dry....when a technique works, over time your life improves with more energy, not less. A good example of this is the EE program, over time, this technique works by reducing stress. While that sounds simple, its a huge benefit in this nutty world.

Keep reading here, and you'll find your way. The Diet and Health threads are an excellent place to start, as our diets make a big difference in how we perceive things, and people.

 

[Laura M. C.]

Volume III: "It was all a joke".

 

[knowledge_of_self]

What is wrong with Oprah?? I loved watching Oprah!

Then you may want to consider that you may have an identification with her and her show, so you will need to use critical thinking to see past Oprah's 'mask'.

I strongly disliked her "My Favourite Things" where she bought and gave all the things that she loved to her audience each free.

I don't watch Oprah but I remember hearing about that segment and it made me feel disgusted at how she was manipulating people. It made me think of old times in history when a king or lord would throw scraps to the poor as they passed by to maintain the 'caring' image, even though the people were starving and had way more problems. But they'd still become happy over a few silver coins or anything the king/lord would throw at them and scream "long live the king".

I will say tho, I did notice she started to feel like her heart or her warmth turned off around the year 2000.

Maybe because she started to shed her mask more? I do think she 'sold out' at some point when she became really big.

Is it Oprah that people on this forum are not liking or her show and what she endorses?? Or both?

I can't speak for everyone on this forum, but I'll say my own thoughts regarding Oprah.

I actually never watched her show, but she was around enough for me to know what she was all about. I remember the one time I thought I'd give her show a chance, it was an episode right after 9/11 where she was bringing in wives of firefighters who went to the twin towers. They were all sharing their stories and bawling on TV and the camera would show the audience and they were all crying. It looked like an emotional feeding fest and it made me sick. Considering what really happened during 9/11 her show was pushing the MSM agenda and feeding people the same ol' song and dance.

And I think that's the bottom line of her show. To create hype and anything that gets ratings and to distract from what's important. To give false hope to the masses that as an African American woman it was the "American Dream" that sustained her and made her the powerful woman that she is. She perpetuates the illusion to people and she has a cult following so her messages are widely accepted. And her cult followers literally do seem like cult members. Her most devout admirers watch her religiously, quote her as an expert, and scramble for every product she endorses or even mentions. The idea that Oprah expresses anything more valuable than her own opinions gives her a level of misplaced trust she doesn't deserve. Anyone perceived as infallible is dangerous.

Her MO is very similar to other very rich, corporate elite like the late Steve Jobs or Bill Gates who also have cult followers.

Perhaps she is being strongly influenced by negative forces but is a good person inside. I am being open to this right now as I question myself and my beliefs about Oprah and her show.

Perhaps, but then again maybe not. How do you know? Do you know her personally? It's good to question your beliefs because the fact is we've been lied to for a very long time through TV/MSM and people like Oprah and questioning ourselves it the very first step in the right direction imo.

 

[loreta]

Oprah is a star and stars are there to manipulate, and to distract you, to make you buy things like books or dreams that will continue to prevent you to think by yourself. I really don't like Oprah. In fact she is almost repulsive, for me. She is also a millionaire.

I can't cope with her. One day I saw her interview a magnate of a very important brand, like Adidas, I don't remember which brand, and she tried to tell us that this person,( that in fact is an exploiter in Haiti, paying maybe one cent by day to his workers) was a good person.

This is my personal point of vue, it is a very personal feeling. Maybe I am wrong.

 

[Psalehesost]

Oprah is a star and stars are there to manipulate, and to distract you, to make you buy things like books or dreams that will continue to prevent you to think by yourself. I really don't like Oprah. In fact she is almost repulsive, for me. She is also a millionaire.

I can't cope with her. One day I saw her interview a magnate of a very important brand, like Adidas, I don't remember which brand, and she tried to tell us that this person,( that in fact is an exploiter in Haiti, paying maybe one cent by day to his workers) was a good person.

This is my personal point of vue, it is a very personal feeling. Maybe I am wrong.

Gurdjieff referred to the typical celebrity back in his time as being what "the ancient Babylonians" called "moving sources of an evil radiation". ;) I don't think anything's improved since then - quite the contrary.

Whatever one makes of that, I personally find most show-blather, whether on radio or TV, to be jarring and more or less repulsive - feeling that there is something terribly wrong with it. (this goes for much popular music too)

 

[Kindle]

What have I missed?

Many many things. ;)

Also, just remembered, I also bought into The Secret and praised it everywhere. It worked. But it was so tiring
This is what attracted me to this thread. Another program I need to process and understand.

If it really worked, it would not drain you dry....when a technique works, over time your life improves with more energy, not less. A good example of this is the EE program, over time, this technique works by reducing stress. While that sounds simple, its a huge benefit in this nutty world.

Keep reading here, and you'll find your way. The Diet and Health threads are an excellent place to start, as our diets make a big difference in how we perceive things, and people.

I've been reading alot about the effects of a good or poor diet and it is really starting to sink in. Diet is so extremely important. At first i was like-diet? Oprah? Diet? What?

So, from your reply, Gimpy, i was curious to this.

So I chose to be conscious of the way i felt and the way i was thinking and feeling after eating and/or drinking certain things and I would also reflect on how I felt as a child and in the more recent past after I ate or drank the same things. And I found that I would daydream, alot. I could just sit there and stare blankly. Not even stare, just...bluh.

That was enough for me. I have daydreamed a majority of my life. The Secret encourages daydreaming. I thought for along time that daydreaming was ok. All that time being unconscious. Not cool. Thankyou Gimpy.