The Secret

I've watched the whole documentary and these are my impressions divided into positive (+), neutral (±) and negative (-) remarks.

(+) To those who experience negative thoughts throughout every day this is a great opportunity to change their way of thinking. This documentary encourages people to change their lives in a positive way.

(+) The theory is explained in a way that's easy to comprehend. To those who are already familiar with this theory (resembling Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) it may seem repetitive, but to newcomers this might be necessary.

(±) In my opinion, there are claims being made during the documentary that aren't backed up with solid proof. They do tell some remarkable stories, but it doesn't really convince me for some reason.

(±) Several times the interviewees give certain numbers and facts as proof of a statement they're making, but the methods of researching those facts aren't being explained. You just have to believe that what they say is true.

(-) At start The Secret gives the impression that you're going to watch a movie about a woman who will discover "The Secret", how and why it has been kept as a secret for so long, exposing a conspiracy and in the end revealing the secret to the viewer... But it's none of that. It's basically just a documentary.

(-) It's overdone. It feels like I'm watching Tel Sell, and the talking just goes on and on... (But again, to newcomers and people who need a periodical pep talk this might be just the right thing.)

(-) At a certain point, the documentary talks about a "constant state of joy" (at least twice)! The makers of this movie fail to mention that there is nothing wrong with grief and such feelings. If a family member or a good friend of yours dies, then why should you force yourself into a constant state of joy? It's alright to cry, be angry or whatever, as long as you don't exaggerate it, stay in control of yourself and act wisely. But the movie lacks in mentioning this.

(-) The documentary does seem to emphasize on money, welfare and "thus" happiness. I miss the element of growth. If you'd live life the way they recommend you to it feels so superficial to me... As if at the end of your life you only seemed to care about your own well-being.

Honestly, this makes the lowest grade of pornography look like Shakespeare. Just believe and the Universe will do exactly as you command! Hey positive thinking and belief are incredibly important, if they stopped there it would be fine. I'm all for a near-spiritual support for positive thinking. But don't believe you command the world! Believe what you like, and respect the beliefs of others. But here they make the case that your (subjective) beliefs drive the (objective) realities of the universe. They present it as though its a scientific fact. And they imply that this is the true secret of the ages, that all the greats possessed this precious knowledge, and that an evil conspiracy subdues it. That is patently false. It is truly a demented, grade school pseudoscience wrapped in an infomercial. At least Jerry Springer doesn't pretend his show is Cosmos!

At the beginning of this movie, one person says that we know, "like, attracts like." One person mentions magnets as a paradigm. The other man says it's a law of attraction. But we all know that with magnets, we are given the universal belief that it's opposites that attract. So, right away, I was a skeptic. And whenever I see pyramids in a film like this, I'm even more skeptical.

You'll have to watch this to see if it "attracts" you.

Reading the comments I'm surprised :D Most of the negative comments say "cannot I be a top NFL player just by visualising it?". No you cannot. If simple asking is all you can do, then no - you can not. You have to believe it. I'm not convinced in some outer world, but I do believe positive thinking brings success. I watched the movie yesterday, today is such a great day compared to 99% of last few months! I thought about "I want to make some money fast soon" and yes, suddenly i made 400 today almost out of nothing and got an offer on some future projects! But it's probably not connected to anything about the movie. What is important, that every time you think about something, you give more importance to it and your mind works much better to achieve it. It will not end a war, it will make you think how to survive the war better. It will not 100% cure bad diseases, but it will help you live better the rest of your life until you die. If you're pesimistic "oh, i got cancer, i will die, im loser, im dead", you better off shoot yourself already. YOU WILL NOT GET A 350Z ROADSTER JUST BECAUSE THE MOVIE SAYS SO! If you're passionate about cars and have a dream car, you will get it. If you don't get it, probably it's not that important for yourself - you don't really want it so much. I smiled and talked kindly to so many people today and I'm happy about it. I want to get closer with my friends. I chose different routes during lunch and suddenly met 2 good friends. Isn't happiness all that you want in your life? The movie said only once, but it must be articulated - positive attracts negative. You cannot have everything positive! If you believe in God, this sentence describes it somehow: "God always listens, but sometimes the answer is NO". As for the quality of the movie - its poor. Very poor. It starts as a story of some woman. What woman? What problem? No idea, suddenly it starts as a documentary and a Tel Sell advertisement. Just selling the movie for 1.3 hours. But it's worth it if you understand what it means. Most of the commenters don't. 9 for the worth of the movie, 4 for plot and cinematography. 7/10 total Recommended movie for everyone who is stressed in life (99% of us)

As a student of metaphysics, and as one who has practiced the Law of Attraction successfully for many years, I heard The Secret talked about on Oprah and purchased it. I'm always looking for new "takes" on the concept, if you will. If this has helped some people change their lives, that's great, and for that I will give it a 4. However, for anyone who has studied and practiced metaphysics, it's not really quite there, and I would urge people truly interested in the law of attraction, the one universe-one mind theory, etc., to go well beyond this CD.

Oprah says she practices The Secret, and she does, but not in the way it's practiced here. Oprah comes from a much more spiritual mindset, and that's what The Secret is missing. It's not about getting stuff. It's about developing a sense of true identity and being unafraid to go after what you feel you are meant to do in life and being open to many possible ways of achieving it. This idea is much better stated by Tracy Goss in "The Last Word on Power," by "The Science of Mind," the works of John Randolph Price, by "In Tune with the Infinite," by Ralph Waldo Trine, and by any number of other books.

One of the more vicious comments on the board said if Bill Gates told him that he got rich by imagining it, he'd believe in The Secret. It doesn't quite work that way. Jim Carey is a great believer in metaphysics and the law of attraction, and he did more than imagine his way out of living in a van with his family. Oprah is a great believer in this philosophy as well. So in fact was movie star Ginger Rogers, Georgia Engel from "Mary Tyler Moore" who is now on Broadway, actor Val Kilmer, Broadway star Carol Channing, Carol Burnett, actress Angela Lansbury, the current Miss USA, and more than likely Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and millions of other people. And millions more practice this philosophy every day without realizing it.

The problem with a DVD like this is that this is not a concept that people can decipher easily. How do I know that? I've read the comments here. People think it's about positive thinking and visualizing, which is a pity. Instead of helping an age-old theory, I think The Secret has set back a powerful philosophy thousands of years.

I encourage anyone who sees a grain of something salvageable in this DVD to carry your studies a little further.