The more you listen to celebrities, the more you realize that they really are in bondage to some very strange ideas. The practice of “manifesting” is not a new idea, but its popularity continues as its so-called practitioners continue to proclaim its efficacy in their lives. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Jim Carrey, Lady Gaga, Tom Holland, Drake and many others claim they have had success using the process of manifestation. So, what is it? Well, Ariana Grande sang about it in her mediocre (I’m being kind) song entitled “Pete Davidson”: “I thought you into my life. Look at my mind. No better place or a time. Look how they align. Universe must have my back.”
So, if you have not already concluded what manifestation is, it is the so-called ability to cosmically attract success in life through positive self-talk, visualization and symbolic action (ie. acting as if something is true). Adherents believe that by thinking positive thoughts, feeling positive emotions, and aligning personal energy with that of the universe, they can “manifest” their dreams.
I am sure you are all aware (or soon will be) that the practice of manifestation is unbiblical. But there is also a deeper layer to manifestation and that is its relationship to another idea – the “law of attraction”. Although this idea dates back to the 1800s, it was popularized by Australian author Rhonda Byrne who misled the world through her film and subsequent book entitled “The Secret”. It has been called the book that changed the world – a title which should only be reserved for the precious and preserved Word of God. She was inspired to write her book at a time when everything in her life had fallen apart physically, emotionally and financially. After her father then died suddenly, her daughter bizarrely suggested she read a 1910 book written by Wallace D. Wattles entitled “The Science of Getting Rich”.
What nonsense did Rhonda learn in his book? Here are some quotes from it:
- “If you neglect this study, you are derelict in your duty to yourself, to God and humanity; for you can render to God and humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself.”
- “It is the desire of God that you should get rich. He wants you to get rich because he can express himself better through you if you have plenty of things to use in giving him expression. He can live more in you if you have unlimited command of the means of life.”
- “The universe desires you to have everything you want to have.”
- “You can serve God and man in no more effective way than by getting rich; that is, if you get rich by the creative method and not by the competitive one.”
Not long after Wattles released his book, Napoleon Hill released a book in 1937 entitled “Think and Grow Rich” (which remains a bestseller to this day). Are you starting to see a pattern develop? The so-called powers of manifestation and law of attraction always wants to prioritize material wealth. Anyway, one of the most demonstratively false and dangerous things in the book is Hill’s idea that: “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
Where did this idea spring from? One day, Hill was confronted in his study by an unexpected and uninvited intruder. Hill claims that an emissary came across the astral plane. In a voice that “sounded like chimes of great music,” this visitor from another dimension declared: “I come from the Great School of Masters. I am one of the Council of Thirty-Three who serve the Great School and its initiates on the physical plane.” Hill was informed that he had been “under the guidance of the Great School” for years and had been chosen by them to give the formula of success, the “Supreme Secret,” to the world: that “anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve.” I think you and I know exactly who Napoleon was visited by!
As you can see, according to the law of attraction, our thoughts supposedly determine what we attract in life, be that bad or good things, poverty or riches, illness or health, abusive or nourishing relationships. Therefore, this “mind over matter” approach claims that our thoughts are omnipotent and have the power to shape the external world. And where do these ideas spring from? Occultism.
In fact, as one occultist wrote in his book marketed as a practical guide for newcomers to occultism: “There is a vast spiritual landscape that we can access only through occult methods. No amount of theoretical knowledge in philosophy, theology or modern science can bring us closer to true power in this world or spiritual elevation. We have to rely on magick to access our dormant potential. The following chapters will reveal practical ways in which you can access untapped powers of your mind in order to manifest your deepest visions and desires in the physical universe.”
The primary danger of manifestation and the law of attraction lies in its promotion of self-reliance and the belief that we can control our lives independently of God. However, the well-known verses of Proverbs 3:5-6 dispel that idea: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Adopting the law of attraction means that people are relying on the erroneous idea that there is a universal energy force that we can manipulate by our thoughts and feelings. Additionally, we see the origins of this practice steeped in occultism which the Bible clearly exhorts God’s people to stay well clear of because the real power behind it is demonic. So, if you have any of the books mentioned, my suggestion is: burn them!
