Religion and the Law of Attraction: The Ultimate Guide

Is it really possible to practice Law of Attraction while also being, say, a Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist? What are the challenges? Which approach is best?

Practicing the Law of Attraction while simultaneously also being invested in some religious faith (for example as a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain, etc.) is not an entirely easy thing.

For in order to actually see some tangible results, one must learn to master the Law of Attraction. So without really mastering the Law of Attraction, one should not expect any miraculous manifestations.

The “trouble” is that if one practices the Law of Attraction together with another belief system, there are usually compromises of various kinds that have be made – compromises that often make it more difficult for the student to reach a level of mastery. For succeeding with the Law of Attraction is hard enough, even without having to “negotiate” or “harmonize” or “share” ones beliefs, emotions, and daily practices with some other belief system.

This article therefore presents a variety of perspectives in order to really drive home the point that Law of Attraction, in general, is not so easy to share with other belief systems.

However, with the help of this page, I am hoping that the sincere student of Law of Attraction can get a better grasp of the differences between his faith and the philosophy of Law of Attraction, and thereby be in a position to make better judgments and decisions about how to proceed in his or her own life.

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

There are many potential obstacles in the way for a student of Law of Attraction who is simultaneously also a believer in some religion.

One obstacle in the way of getting practical results with Law of Attraction is that there are many misconceptions circulating about what Law of Attraction is, and what it can and cannot do. These are discussed in Part 2: “Common Misconceptions About Law of Attraction”.

Another obstacle in the way of achieving tangible results is “belief incompatibility” between one’s faith and one’s understanding of what the Law of Attraction philosophy amounts to, as is discussed in Part 3: “Religion and Law of Attraction: Are They Compatible?”.

PART 2: COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT LAW OF ATTRACTION

Before we turn to the question “Are religion and Law of Attraction compatible”, it is important to understand what Law of Attraction is, and isn’t. This is extra important since there is so much misinformation and misconceptions about Law of Attraction available, not only on the internet, but also in published books, etc.

What Is Law of Attraction?

Law of Attraction is both a “universal law” and a comprehensive system of philosophy. The core idea is that the Law of Attraction acts as an “energy reflector”, that reflects back to us similar things to those we are focusing on with our minds.

This is built on the idea that we all are energy beings much more so than “hard physical” beings. And because of this, we are constantly beaming energy out into the Universe.

So the question is this: Which type of energy are we beaming out into the Universe? Are we beamers of worry? Are we beamers of physical pain? Or are we beamers of insecurity? If so, the universe will send us back similar thoughts and experiences of worry, physical pain, and insecurity. The more we focus on (think, write, talk about, etc.) our worries, pain, and insecurities, the worse it gets, by the grace of the Law of Attraction.

However, if we instead are beamers of joy, love, or success, the Universe will send us thoughts and experiences of joy, love, and success. So the topmost priority for a student of Law of Attraction is to, by all means necessary, keep himself or herself on the positive side of the negativity-positivity spectrum. By doing so, he or she will maximize their chances of experiencing pleasing manifestations and a happy, healthy, and prosperous life.

Myth 1: Law of Attraction Is a Magical Power

There are many misconceptions about the Law of Attraction. One misconception is that Law of Attraction is some kind of magical power that produces miracles.

But that is simply not the case. There is no magic and no miracles happening, in any real sense. Of course, if you consider the whole world and its existence a miracle, then yes. But otherwise there is no magic and no miracles going on.

For according to the philosophy of Law of Attraction, every single thing that happens, every second of every day of every week, is a manifestation that is a product of our own energy beaming out in the universe, and the resulting “mirroring” and “amplification” by the Law of Attraction.

So it’s simply a matter of cause and effect.

Myth 2: Law of Attraction Means ‘Instantaneous Manifestations’

Another false belief is that Law of Attraction is a process that can produce instantaneous manifestations. That is not so, in our universe. It is the case in some other universes, but not here.

Here in our physical space-time reality we have a buffer time until the Law of Attraction kicks in. This is the 17-Second Rule. In practical terms, then, we have 17 seconds to complain about this or that, before the Law of Attraction starts sending us negative things back.

This means that the 17-Second Rule is a very wonderful rule. For it protects us by delaying any negative consequences of our misplaced focus. That way we have time to correct ourselves, so that we can turn our attention to positive matters instead, and avoid those negative consequences that we otherwise would have attracted.

As Abraham-Hicks say (The Law of Attraction, p. 108):

Myth 3: Law of Attraction Promotes Toxic Positivity

Yet another misconception is that Law of Attraction somehow or other promotes toxic positivity (i.e. “fake” positivity).

This may very well be true for some amateur accounts of the Law of Attraction, who either don’t know the real philosophy, or who just simplify things in order sell more books (or some other reason).

However, the authentic Law of Attraction philosophy, transmitted directly from the nonphysical realm, does not promote any toxic, or fake, positivity. On the contrary, it clearly states that the positivity we should be aiming for is NOT toxic, and NOT fake. Authentic positivity is the only positivity on the table.

Myth 4: Law of Attraction Is Only About Manifestation

Another common myth is that Law of Attraction is only about manifesting and manifestations. But this is a very simplified view.

Law of Attraction As a ‘Courier’

As I have already stated, Law of Attraction can be understood in several ways. First of all, it is the name of the universal principle that boomerangs back the energy we have beamed out into the universe. So in that sense, we may see Law of Attraction as the “courier” that delivers manifestations.

But it is important to understand that “manifestations” include everything that we experience with our senses: whatever we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch is a manifestation.

So it’s not that “a million dollars in my bank account” is a manifestation, and the smell of fresh flowers or the taste of an apple isn’t. EVERYTHING is a manifestation (and it remanifests all the time, just as a computer monitor refreshes its image many times a second). And we are creating it all by the power of our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

Law of Attraction and All-That-Is

Another point is that although Law of Attraction certainly is a philosophical principle and a universal law, that law operates in multiple dimensions and universes. And to understand how Law of Attraction REALLY works (so that one can believe in it more), one must understand how the totality of those dimensions and universes operates, and which types of beings exist in these realms, and what their role is.

In other words, the phrase “Law of Attraction” signifies not only the law itself, but also the “geography” (or “ontology”) of all universes and existences: All That Is.

Law of Attraction and Happiness

The mindset of many beginners to see the Law of Attraction mainly, or only, as a magic manifestation tool (to get that car, to get that job, to get that lover, etc.) is, in many ways, counterproductive. So it is not a recommended attitude for serious students of the Law of Attraction.

A much better approach is to see the Law of Attraction mainly, or only, as a happiness tool, instead of a manifestation tool. Of course, happiness (in the form of good-feeling emotions) is also a manifestation; but it is a fine-physical manifestation, instead of a gross manifestation.

The idea thus is that happiness is the prerequisite for ALL positive manifestations. So if we are not happy most of the time, then we will simply not beam out the right energy into the universe, and therefore not receive those things that we really desire and deserve. This is why pre-manifestation positivity is so important.

PART 3: RELIGION AND LAW OF ATTRACTION: ARE THEY COMPATIBLE?

One important potential issue is “belief incompatibility” in between, on the one hand, the belief system in one’s religion and, on the hand, the belief system in Law of Attraction.

This is, of course, not just dependent on which basic religious system the student subscribes to (Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.), but it is also dependent on how literally the student accepts and follows the philosophy of that religion.

And the basic flavors of such “belief incompatibility” are two: worldview belief mismatch and mismatch of ethical and moral beliefs.

Worldview Beliefs

One category of such obstacles are fundamental worldview-type beliefs: What if my Christian priest teaches that there is eternal punishment in hell, while the Law of Attraction teaches that there is no hell, and no eternal punishment? How should I cope with that?

Or what if my Indian guru teaches that I have accumulated bad karma from previous lifetimes, and the Law of Attraction philosophy teaches us that there is no bad karma from past lives? What should I conclude?

Ethical and Moral Beliefs

Another category of such obstacles are fundamental ethical and moral beliefs: What if my religion teaches that I should “curb my desires” and serve God by surrendering unto Him, while the Law of Attraction philosophy teaches that the whole point of this Earthly existence is to EMBRACE our ever-evolving desires and be joyous and happy? And that this is the only job that we are here to do: to give birth to new desires while simultaneously being increasingly happy and satisfied, for the benefit of all beings in all universes?

Or what if my religion teaches that one should not be selfish and that one therefore should help the poor and the sick and those in need, while the philosophy of Law of Attraction teaches that emotional selfishness is the only way to really thrive in this crazy world, for focusing on poverty and sickness and neediness will only bring those things to yourself?

Our Job Is to Choose

Thus, there are many beliefs that may clash. But it’s, surprisingly, all good. For our purpose here on Earth (according to the Law of Attraction) is exactly this: We are here to explore the possibilities. We are here to learn to choose that which pleases us most. And what pleased us last month, or last year, may not please us anymore. So then we switch, so we can increase our happiness and satisfaction.

So the question is this: Is your religion making you happy? Does your religion make sense, philosophically? Should you abandon it? Or should you, perhaps, abandon the Law of Attraction instead? Or both? Or just continue with both, side by side?

All these questions are questions that determine what type of life you will have. And the choice is entirely yours!

PART 4: HOW TO CHOOSE: RELIGION AND/OR LAW OF ATTRACTION?

How should I think in terms of religion and Law of Attraction in my own life? One way is to consider the two points below: your Emotional Guidance System, and the idea about “spiritual growth”.

The Emotional Guidance System

What is the main, most crucial, most important, difference between most religions and the Law of Attraction? It is that the Law of Attraction is based primarily on the idea of our innate Emotional Guidance System. So the student is encouraged to follow his or her own feelings and emotions and intuitions, and to embrace happiness that way, all day, every day, along his or her journey here on Earth.

Most mainstream theistic religions, however, are based on scriptures, not on emotions or feelings or intuitions. So they teach that you must instead abandon your personal desires and your Emotional Guidance System and surrender to God. A good example of how this is done is seen in The Purpose-Driven Life (Warren 2002, pp. 17-19):

And once the student has agreed to switch off his or her own in-built Emotional Guidance System, and instead slavishly following the “proper behavior” guidelines that the religion in question teaches, then the student has no longer any control.

It’s a little like having a super-advanced in-built GPS navigation system in your car, but deciding not to use it. That, of course, does not mean that one cannot get to the desired destination anyway. But it does mean that it most probably will take longer time, and be more cumbersome and worrisome.

Religion and Spiritual Growth

Another important topic is that of “spiritual growth” and “materialism” and similar ideas in mainstream religion. For the worry in many religious circles is that materialism and human desires (sexual desires, money desires, relationship desires, etc.), somehow or other, may “destroy” or “diminish” one’s spiritual life or one’s “spiritual growth”.

A Manual Process Before Salvation

The idea of “spiritual growth” is, unfortunately, not well defined in mainstream religions, so it is not entirely easy to discuss it. But one might perhaps say that it amounts to the student’s increased positive attitude towards the teachings of the religion in question.

So the more one increases one’s faith in the teachings of the scriptures, the more “spiritual growth” there is. And it may, or may not, also manifest in the student’s emotional life, where he or she experiences goosebumps or other positive feelings in certain situations.

What I am driving at here is that the idea of “spiritual growth” in religion (call it SGr, where “r” denotes “religion”) seemingly is a concept that pertains only to the individual himself, and only in this Earthly life. For at the time of death, if he “gets saved”, then he is “home free”, so to speak (e.g., Christian salvation, Hindu moksha, Buddhist nirvana, etc.). So the idea of “spiritual growth” is then, presumably, in those teachings, not applicable any more: it’s an Earthly affair only.

Law of Attraction and Spiritual Growth

In the philosophy of the Law of Attraction, the idea of “spiritual growth” (call it SGa, where “a” stands for “attraction”) is different. Not only is SGa an eternal mechanism, but it is also fully automated.

An Eternal Process

First of all, it is an eternal process. So it’s not that SGa ends when we return back home to Heaven. No. It’s a never-ending process, and, one may say, one of the driving forces for existence itself.

For if there is no change, there is no life, whether in the material realm or in the spiritual sphere. Thus, in the worldview of Law of Attraction, “eternity” is not a static state of affairs where permanence rules (cf. Aristotelian view, Christianity, and Buddhism). Rather, it is a dynamic environment where increasing happiness and joy is the name of the game.

An Automated Process

Unlike the previously discussed SGr version, the Law of Attraction’s variety of “spiritual growth” is an automatic thing, while we are in this space-time reality. So whenever we experience unwanted things, we automatically emit “rockets of desire” out into the universe.

These “rockets” of intelligent emotional waves contain a complete description of all details pertaining to how we would have liked the world to be in order for us to have loved that particular situation, instead of hating it.

The upshot of all of this is that “problems” and “challenges” are unavoidable in this space-time reality. They are built in, to facilitate the expansion of our desires. Thus, SGa is guaranteed.

Be Happy Now!

So according to the philosophy of Law of Attraction, it ultimately doesn’t matter which religion or which belief system you subscribe to, or what you do with your life as a whole. For whatever life you are living, you will always generate new desires anyway; and thus “spiritual growth” (the SGa variety) is secured.

But even though SGa is always secured (in an eternal perspective, benefiting all beings in all universes), that does not mean that we always will feel good, here and now. For experiencing practical problems here on Earth may be very distressing and painful, both emotionally and physically.

So the only way to really cope with that is to gradually train one’s mind with this simple rule: “I am going to be happy and optimistic, no matter what.” That may sound borderline idiotic and ridiculously simplistic to some, but the mind is not so easy to persuade, on a steady basis.

In any case, since all experiences in our space-time reality are created by our own minds in combination with the Law of Attraction, the more pre-manifestation happiness and optimism we can muster, the more positive experiences we will manifest. [note 1]

The conclusion here, then, is that there is no scope for any “curb your enthusiasm” (or to “surrender” to others) in the Law of Attraction philosophy. In order to life a happy life here and now we have to instead increase our enthusiasm and happiness, so that we, unlike most people, can finally reach the positive half of the negativity-positivity spectrum. Only then will be able to easily and effortlessly handle adverse situations and swiftly reverse them into positive experiences.

PART 5: DAILY PRACTICES: GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND PROCESSES

In Part 5 the focus is on daily practices. Which processes should you participate in?

Meditation

The most important practice for people who are beginning their journey with Law of Attraction is stillness meditation, using sound (listen to your breath, or to a fan). This should be practiced every morning, just a few minutes after waking up, in an environment where you feel safe (typically you are in a room alone, so that others won’t disturb you). A typical session should be 15-20 minutes. This practice can be done by all people, regardless where they currently are on the negativity-positivity spectrum.

The purpose of such a meditation is to stop all thoughts, so that those nasty negative thougths (worries, hate, insecurity, etc.) stop circulating in your mind. And when all those thoughts stop, then you connect directly to your Inner Being (God), whereby your positive vibration automatically rises.

It is very important that the meditation is carried out in the right fashion. When I am talking about meditation I am NOT referring to “meditating on positive affirmations” or any “Cartesian meditations”. By meditation I am talking about a state where you are NOT thinking any thoughts at all. Well, maybe you are thinking “Mmm. Lovely. Stillness” or something like that. That’s okay. But no moral thoughts, no intellectual thoughts, and no thoughts about what happened yesterday, or what will happen tomorrow.

Prayer

Prayer is a very widespread practice, and described by Wendy Cadge in this way (2011, pp. 836-837):

Although the intuition of all those people mentioned is more or less correct (thought really does affect reality), most people are not offering their prayers in the correct emotional mood.

Most people pray because they are in a state of lack: lack of health, lack of prosperity, lack of friends, lack of lovers, etc. The trouble is that praying when being in an emotional state like that will have no positive effect. For since these people are so worried about their current situation, they cannot manifest anything else than more worries and more lack.

The general principle in the Law of Attraction is that one must learn to disregard current reality. That is one of the reasons why it is so hard to learn to manifest. One cannot think “I have no money” and then manifest money. Instead, one must develop a mindset that “I have all the money I want already” in order to get all the money you want. And one must be utterly convinced of it, and really feel good about it, even before anything shows up. It may sound ridiculous at first. But it is not.

In other words, the Law of Attraction is not about uttering empty words. It is about developing an inner world (whether by visualization or by describing it in sentences) where things are as you want them to be. Only when you have developed such a state and are feeling wonderful feelings with it, and also have stopped thinking thoughts like “I have so little money” or “he or she has much more money than I have” is there any hope of any positive manifestations.

Therefore, since most people use prayer as a sort of manifestation tool, praying is discourages. It is a waste of time and can even counterproductive, generating more troublesome effects.

The only type of prayer that should be used is one in a mood of appreciation and love for God, Source, the Divine, the Universe, and all of its fantastic beings. Such prayers should be pure, and offered without any tinge of “requests” or “demands”.

Affirmations

Just as prayers typically are offered in a mood that is not conducive to any positive manifestations, so are affirmations usually offered in a similar fashion. I call this goal-driven affirmations. The Universe doesn’t listen to the words spoken, it listens to your point of attraction, which is, we might say, the combination of your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions.

In other words, if you are not absolutely convinced that you already are a millionaire, and are feeling extremely good about that “fact”, then nothing will happen when you start uttering the affirmation “I am a millionaire”. It’s a waste of time.

One must be in a very positive and happy place before one uses affirmations. And one must care less about what manifests, and what doesn’t. The overall state of emotions must be that you are already in a fantastic place, excited about life, and just happy with whatever shows up, even if nothing shows up. Only then will it show up.

So if one wants to use affirmations, the best thing is to use affirmations that are NOT driven by any particular goal, but simply concentrating on creating the best possible positive feeling you can have. I call such affirmations feelgood affirmations (and Abraham-Hicks call them “rampages”).

But even these should typically be performed only when the individual is on the positive side of the negativity-positivity spectrum. So if your mood is not yet “anchored” at P1 (“weak positivity”) or higher, then it is more productive to meditate.

But as soon as you have “graduated” to P1 (which is the point of “self-acceptance“), then you can do your feelgood affirmations instead of your morning meditation session, if you want.

Visualization

Visualization is a misunderstood practice. Many people think that visualization is the practice where one creates that which one later manifests. But that is not so.

As I have said elsewhere in this article, the creative process is an automatic one. When we experience practical problems in the world, we generate emotional waves out into the universe (“rockets of desire”) that in microscopic detail contain all the details needed for a later manifestation. So our Inner Being (God) is already on it. The package is already prepared in the cosmic warehouse. But it cannot be sent yet, because you are typically not an energetic match to it. In other words, you are convinced that you don’t have that red sports car yet (which is why you want one). So the universe cannot send it to you. Your positivity beaming signal just isn’t strong enough yet.

So the purpose of visualization is not to create the red sports car, for that you have already accomplished (when you emitted those “rockets of desire”). What visualization does is simply that it helps you work on on your beliefs. So by the help of visualization your job is to dream up something that increases your belief that you already have it.

To make this work is not entirely easy, for it requires excellent visualization skills. And since most people do not have excellent visualization skills, it will be very hard to really make this work. But for those who can see images with their inner vision just as clearly as they can see the pictures on a movie screen, this might very well work.

However, it is important to also note that it’s not just about making one believe that one has that red sports car. One must also feel very, very good about it at the same time. And another point is that one must also develop love simultaneously for others, and especially for those who have red sports cars. So there is no room, whatsoever, for being envious of people with red sports cars, or of people who have lots of money which they could spend on red sports cars.

PART 6: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Absolutely. In fact, it’s much better if you are NOT religious. This is simply because there are so many beliefs in religion that are opposite, or near-opposite, of the beliefs required to master the Law of Attraction.

So not being religious will make practicing Law of Attraction less “conflicted” in terms of clashing beliefs, whether they are worldview beliefs (“God is almighty!”, “hell and eternal damnation is real!”, etc.) or moral or ethical beliefs (“follow the scriptures!”, “surrender to God!”, “be modest!”, “don’t be selfish!”, etc.).

It all depends on where you are in terms of the negativity-positivity spectrum. If your average emotional mood is on the negative half of the NP spectrum (N2: anger, blame, envy; and N1: irritation, confusion, worry), where the overwhelming majority of all people are, then there is no other really effective way for you to gradually take yourself up to the positive half of the NP spectrum, where all the good-feeling emotions are.

In other words, if you are not “serious” enough about manifestation and the Law of Attraction to spend 15-20 minutes every morning relaxing with a “stillness” meditation (no thoughts and no fantasizing going on) and trying to let go of your negative thoughts that way, then your progress will be minimal, with little or no positive results.

As for praying, it is often counterproductive. For typically, the individual is in a state of lack, asking for something that he or she doesn’t already have. So instead of attracting the thing that he or she really wants, the lack of what is wanted is manifested, i.e., the absence of that thing. And that naturally gets more and more frustrating, the longer one continues doing it. One cannot attract a thing from a state of being convinced that one doesn’t already have it.

Absolutely. Selfishness is one of the most important traits of mastering the Law of Attraction. If you are not truly selfish, then you will never be able to “pump up your positivity” high enough that you get the right energy flowing.

So it is crucial to adopt an attitude of “emotional selfishness“. One cannot engage in empathy and be successful with one’s Law of Attraction practices at the same time. One must put one’s own happiness and positivity above everything else, and one must quickly “disarm” any conversations where people are complaining in various ways about their life, or their health, or about other people, or about the state of the nation, or planet, etc.

The successful attitude is one where my happiness is the most important, not the happiness of other people. Naturally, our attitude is NOT that we don’t wish happiness for them as well; we DO wish them all the best, of course. But getting happy and positive is hard inner work; so if they want it, they can do it, just like I am doing it. It’s nothing that comes cheap.

To my knowledge, none of the main religions officially support Law of Attraction. Many of them (especially in Christian circles) publicly argue that Law of Attraction is “sinful” or that it “promotes selfishness”, etc. Consequently, their followers are typically advised against incorporating Law of Attraction in their practices.

Since there are many religions, there are also different ideas about who God is. For example, the idea of God in the monotheistic version of Hinduism (Krishna) is different than the idea of God in the Old Testament (Yahweh). And none of these two, to my knowledge, talk about manifestation in the sense that the Law of Attraction philosophy teaches it.

A better perspective is this. The authorized version of the Law of Attraction comes directly from Source (Inner Being, God). They (God is a collective group of beings) are speaking to us directly from the Non-Physical (spiritual) realm. And they are bringing us the knowledge about the Law of Attraction so that we can learn how to manifest the things we really want.

Note that when I say “authorized”, I am NOT referring to the thousands of unauthorized books written by “New Age” writers such as Phineas Quimby, Prentice Mulford, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Deepak Chopra, and Rhonda Byrne, etc. “Authorized” means “transmitted directly from Non-Physical”. It also means “no human speculations”.

The general, official version in Christianity (whether we are talking about various Protestant schools of thought, or the Catholic Church, or some orthodox variant) is basically that “There are no law of attraction teachings in the Bible.”

But just as we may find passages in the Bible that support reincarnation, we may also find places where Law of Attraction is a possibility. Here are two examples:

Mark 11:24: “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Metzger and Murphy 1994, p. 65 NT). Here the important principle is taught that you cannot manifest something from a state of lack. You must truly believe, somehow, that you already have the thing that you are praying for. Only if believe you already have it can it manifest, or materialize, into your experience.

Matthew 21:22: “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive” (Metzger and Murphy 1994, p. 32 NT). Just prior to this passage, Jesus also says “if you have faith and do not doubt”, which clarifies the idea that the kind of “faith” one should have is a rock solid one. You must be cent percent convinced that you already have the thing that you’re praying for. Otherwise it won’t manifest.

The Buddha set himself apart from Indian traditions and maintained that there is no indestructible or eternal soul or self that lives on in between lifetimes (Keown 1996, p. 50). In that respect, the Buddha contradicts totally the teachings of the Law of Attraction, which clearly state that each human is, in its essence, an eternal, indestructible energy being, who always engages in thinking and feeling and observing, in whatever dimension or universe he or she currently is residing in.

Another aspect of the original teachings of the Buddha is seen in the first of the “Four Holy Truths”, where the word dukkha (suffering) is used: “Birth is dukkha, ageing is dukkha, sickness is dukkha, death is dukkha . . .” (Harvey 1990, p. 47). The teachings claim that “even happiness is to be seen as dukkha” (Harvey 1990, p. 48). This kind of overly negative assessment is not seen in the authentic teachings of the Law of Attraction.

Nevertheless, there are interesting ideas found in the fourth of the “Four Holy Truths”, where The Path is outlined, with principles such as “right directed thought”. This principle addresses the importance of steering one’s emotions, “with thought rightly channelled towards peaceful freedom from sensuality, and away from ill-will and cruelty to lovingkindness and compassion” (Harvey 1990, p. 69).

Although this principle seems a little akin to Law of Attraction practices, in that it accentuates the importance of steering our emotions, it does not mirror the basic values of Law of Attraction, where there are no restrictions about sex or sensuality (or other earthly pleasures), and where compassion is not thought of in the same way (empathy is not encouraged).

Most religions are focused on offering “salvation” or “liberation”, and this goes also for Hinduism. The general principles in Hinduism (whether we talk about a monotheistic variant such as Vaisnavism, or some impersonalist Advaita variant) therefore are geared towards that end, and do not talk so much about the acquirement of happiness here and now.

So in that sense it is focused differently than the philosophy of Law of Attraction, which more or less only talks about how we are going to be more happy in our Earthly life, since all human beings automatically (i.e. without any concerns about how they have lived their lives, whether “sinfully” or “holy”) are going to back home to heaven at the time of death anyway.

The typical recommendation in Hinduism is to “control one’s senses” in order to be eligible for breaking the spell of karmic rebirth, and to be eligible for liberation. This means that principles such as “renunciation”, “austerity”, “being silent”, “being content with anything” are traits that are advocated, as for example is seen in Bhagavad-gita 12:19 (Gambhirananda 2003, pp. 490-491). These principles have very little to do with what the authentic version of the Law of Attraction teaches.

Nevertheless, there are some places in the Hindu scriptures that point to ideas reminiscent of Law of Attraction. So in the Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.10, we can for example read about “The acquiring power of thought” (Hume 1962, p. 375):

So this is clearly about manifestation. But we should quickly point out that these instructions most probably only are meant to be applied by qualified brahmins and yogis and sages. And we should also stress that the chapter in which this verse is located is named “The Way to Brahma”. This means that the purpose of such a manifestation exercise presumably is not to manifest an object or “world” here and now (within a day, a week, or a month, etc., as are the typical Law of Attraction time frames), but to prepare oneself for death so that one at the end of that process can manifest a “salvation” and reach Brahman,”The Absolute Reality”. [note 2]

PART 7: BEST QUOTES ON RELIGION AND LAW OF ATTRACTION

Here are some of the best quotations on religion and the Law of Attraction:

1. “The Buddhists come closer [than any of the other main religions], generally speaking, to a description of the nature of reality. They have not understood the eternal validity of the soul, however, in terms of its exquisite invulnerability, nor been able to hold a feeling for its unique character” (Seth, Seth Speaks, p. 240; my square brackets).
2. “You cannot separate yourself from the aspect of yourself that is Spiritual. And while you are here in these bodies, you cannot separate yourselves from that which is physical or material. All of the magnificent things of a physical nature that are surrounding you are Spiritual in nature” (Abraham-Hicks, Money, and the Law of Attraction, pp. 91-92; punctuation edited for more clarity).
3. “Christ, the historical Christ, was not crucified . . . Christ did not take part in it . . . There was a conspiracy in which Judas played a role, an attempt to make a martyr out of Christ. The man chosen was drugged – hence the necessity of helping him carry the cross (see Luke 23) – and he was told that he was the Christ” (Seth, Seth Speaks, p. 366; parentheses in original).
4. “There are many [principles] that you may call Laws. We [here in Non-Physical] reserve our definition of Law for those things that are Universal. In other words, as you enter into this physical dimension, you have the agreement of time, the agreement of gravity, and the agreement of this perception of space; but those agreements are not Universal, for there are other dimensions that do not share those experiences. In many cases, where you may use the word Law, we would use the word agreement, instead. There are no other Universal Laws that we are waiting to divulge to you later” (Abraham-Hicks, The Law of Attraction, pp. 44-45).
5. First of all, a soul is not something that you have. It is what you are. . . . The trouble is that you frequently consider the soul or entity as a finished, static “thing” that belongs to you but is not you. The soul or entity – in other words, your most intimate powerful inner identity – is and must be forever changing. It is not, therefore, something like a cherished heirloom. It is alive, responsive, curious. It forms the flesh and the world that you know [i.e., “you create your own reality”], and it is in a state of becoming. (Seth, Seth Speaks, pp. 70-71; my square brackets)
6. Now, as we [here in Non-Physical] define and describe these two important aspects of you, rather than referring to them as you and You, it will be more clarifying to refer to the physical you as you and the Non-Physical aspect of you as your Inner Being. You could call your Inner Being Source, Soul, or God, but we like the name Inner Being, since it is the root of that which you are, and you can feel it within you” (Abraham-Hicks, The Astonishing Power of Emotions, p. 11; my square brackets).
7. “So from your Non-Physical perspective, your Inner Being projected its Consciousness into the physical you. And you were born. And now here you are, living, breathing, thinking, and being – and at the same time, your Inner Being is living, thinking, and being” (Abraham-Hicks, The Astonishing Power of Emotions, p. 11).

PART 8: RESOURCES

In Part 8 the focus is on locating educational material that will serve the student best, on his or her journey toward finding a suitable and comfortable balance betweenreligion and Law of Attraction.

There are three main types of resources available: review-type articles that serve as pointers to the best possible books; a glossary for quick lookup of Law of Attraction terms; and a list of other articles that are relevant to the study of religion and Law of Attraction.

Best Books on Religion and Law of Attraction

There are many books on the market which talk about religion and Law of Attraction. But I consider most of them unsuitable for people who want the most reliable material. Therefore, I will only mention two authors in this connection, both of which I consider to be authoritative.

The first author is Abraham-Hicks, which is the most popular one and the easiest to understand. Abraham-Hicks, a collective of nonphysical beings, have published six main books on the Law of Attraction so far, and they continuously produce more material in the form of audio material. The best book to start with is probably Ask and It Is Given, which was published in 2004. However, also their other books (published later) are good, since their writing quality is very even, with no fluff whatsoever.

The second author is Seth, which writes more like a professor of physics or philosophy, and is, perhaps therefore, not as popular as Abraham-Hicks. Seth’s books are harder to penetrate, but very rewarding for those who take the time to try to understand what he is saying. The best book to start with is Seth Speaks, which contains many revelations about our world, as seen from a nonphysical perspective: the nature and symbolism of religion, the history of Christianity, the life of Jesus, the interpretations of Buddha, the worldview of the Buddhists, the emergence of Jehova, the way reincarnation works, etc.

Example passages from the books of Abraham-Hicks and Seth can be found above, in the “Best Quotes” section.

Law of Attraction Glossary

Law of Attraction, like any philosophical system, comes with its own unique terminology, which may not be easy to grasp at first. My Law of Attraction Glossary will help you understand some of most important terms and also give some background information about some of the authors and the people around them.

Articles on Religion and Law of Attraction

1. What is the Purpose of My Life Here On Planet Earth?
2. Abraham-Hicks on Jesus Christ
3. Reincarnation in the Bible: Fact or Fiction?
4. Why Don’t I Remember My Past Lives, If Reincarnation Is True?
5. Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

CONCLUSION

So what can we conclude from all of this? Well, one thing we can say is that religious people all over the planet are interested in the Law of Attraction. Why? Because their religion obviously doesn’t deliver all the things that they are desiring.

A second thing we can conclude is that it is hard to combine a religion with the philosophy of Law of Attraction, without feeling somewhat schizophrenic. For the two systems typically have several almost opposite beliefs in terms of worldview and in terms of ethics and morality. And this may feel uncomfortable for the individual, which then, in turn, increases the risk for him or her to experience unwanted manifestations.

A third thing we can say is that the importance of the Emotional Guidance System cannot be overstated. For according to the philosophy of Law of Attraction, our emotions are our Inner Being’s (God’s) never-ending “live” signal to us when we are here in the physical space-time reality.

Thus, that signal overrules any other ideas about what is “good” or “bad”, or “right” or “wrong”, or “moral” or “immoral”, etc. Thus, feeling good should be our prime objective in this world (or ANY world!). And that conclusion (taken by itself), should, for most normal people, be a so-called “no-brainer”.

Nevertheless, it seems that “surrendering” and “austerity” and “serving other people” and “living frugally” are concepts that many people accept, especially in the context of religions. Why?

Probably because they have been told that “the weak and the meek will go to heaven” or something along those lines (cf. Matthew 5:5). So instead of trusting their innate Emotional Guidance System (which is signalling “stop feeling bad; start thinking good-feeling thoughts instead”), they instead abandoned their emotional intuition altogether, and learned to live with their negative emotions (guilt, insecurity, unworthiness, etc.).

That, of course, is their choice. If they want to suffer in a bid to “deserve” going to heaven (or to please their priest, or their guru, etc.), let them suffer. For everyone is responsible for their own thoughts and emotions. But as seen from a Law of Attraction perspective, it’s totally unnecessary suffering. However, we all have free will, and therefore we can choose to accept bondage and suffering if we want to.

Ultimately, my recommendation is simple: whatever your religious denomination is, learn to love yourself and your fellow beings, and focus on learning to steer your mind away from guilt and insecurity toward more happiness, joy, and satisfaction, here and now, and always.

And be sure to soothe yourself whenever negative emotions present themselves (for they will), so that you can swiftly return to the wonderful realm of good-feeling emotions. For the better it feels, the better it is. And the better it is, the better it gets. By the grace of the all-pervading Law of Attraction.

Best of luck on your spiritual journey!

Chris Bocay

NOTES

1. The words “you create your own reality” aren’t just making up a catchy phrase: they are an accurate description of what is actually going on, if understood in the right way. The core idea of that phrase is NOT just that “I interpret reality in my own way, as I see it from my perspective”. Rather, it means “By the power of my thoughts and beliefs and emotions (which are nonphysical in nature), I create the images, sounds, and smells that I then experience with my senses as ‘the physical world’”. So our physical time-space reality is a product of our minds. Consciousness is the fabric of All-That-Is, and creates the physical world. The physical world does not create consciousness.
2. The Upanishads establish the idea that the old Vedas only contained “introductory” knowledge, while the Upanishads themselves contain more advanced material (Shattuck 1999, p. 29). And the Upanishads clearly focus on “the imminent process of liberation in the subjective consciousness” (Klostermaier 1989, p. 203).

REFERENCES

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