Among my major points of interest is the so-called “Secret”, also known as the Law of Attraction, The Power of subconscious mind, etc. In the years 2008-2012 I’ve been conducting “The Secret in Practice” initiative, strongly inspired by Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret. The initiative had been based on three pillars: an internet discussion board, the podcast and the book consisting of the essence of the knowledge and experience gathered throughout the brainstorm which had taken place throughout all those years.
In March 2013 I’ve been asked on giving “an expert interview” on both The Secret and “The Secret in Practice”, for the sake of BA thesis within one of Warsaw universities. I thought that it may be a good idea to share that interview because it contains several important points or insights regarding the concept of The Secret - and possible attitudes toward it. In other words, if You’re interested in The Secret/the Law of Attraction, this interview may shed some interesting light on several topics. Although my perspective has significantly evolved over the time, there is still a wide common ground between my take encapsulated within the interview and the present thoughts. In case You’d like to ask anything, feel free to drop me a line via the comment form on the bottom of this page - or the contact section on this site.
And now the translated version of the interview :) .
K: When and in what circumstances You stumbled upon The Secret? Did someone recommend it to You? If so, how did they encourage You to read? What made You willing to take this book?
T: First time I learned about Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret in a movie form - which took place at June 24, 2008. I learned about it from one of Polish blogs on personal development (Proaktywnie.pl by Mariusz Kapusta). I was skeptical at first, due to ‘marketing aura’ - finally, however, something had ‘prompted’ me to give it a chance. Given how intensively inspirational I had found it - to buy the book was a sole formality and a matter of time (I bought it while I stumbled upon it visiting some bookstore). In other words, Secret the movie had impressed me enough to strip the book off from so-called ‘Wow effect’ - nevertheless I was still interested in reading it, being especially curious whether the book would bring anything new in relation to the movie; besides, I had found the perspective to possess a ‘summary’ of the movie appealing - although over the time the book had turned out to be much more than that.
K: What exactly do You mean by “marketing aura” which initially had triggered a skeptical attitude in You?
T: When I first watched The Secret trailer I had no idea what is all about. I’ve noticed, however, a clear “marketing frame” which - probably due to its scale - I associated with “marketing for marketing”, or a sole intention of convincing me to purchase.
In the design and advertising profession which are close to me many times I’ve approached “empty marketing”: to advertise anything in a high-flown way - which in reality had often been of poor quality. Thus my initial association: I’ve seen “a hype” again, which engagement rarely equals to the quality of an advertised product.
Slight disheartening had completely disappeared, however, to make place for fascination - once I’ve learned the complete picture. Therefore my small reflection on application this particular form of marketing: which on one hand seems to be disheartening by its own scale and sublime atmosphere - while on the other hand probably thanks to these very things it gathers wide popular readership than otherwise (selling the movie in any modest, ordinary form). In this respect I am extremely grateful for the person who had invested in The Secret marketing.
K: What were the first impressions once You’ve read the book?
T: I was moved, energized, inspired - I felt an upcoming Change and excitement; I almost ‘touched’ yet invisible fruits of this state. The thing is it had been the movie which I first stumbled upon - therefore the state described is caused by that, not by the book. Reading the actual book - however interesting - had taken place in the shadow of the movie, without a significant impact on the already gained momentum.
Watching the movie was a kind of “a milestone” for me - You could say that it was a turning point on my practice of The Secret, significantly intensifying it. I think the reason the movie had moved me so much I could find in the very specifics of this form of expression - enriching words with a whole layer of non-verbal speech, settled within attractively illustrative visualization. As a result the message put in the movie had been able to move me enough to feel great inspiration: both to a significant widening/improvement of own practice and to more tangible “creative acts” - making up the complete “Secret in Practice” project in the near future.
K: In what life areas The Secret has helped You? Can You quote a specific example?
T: First of all, thanks to The Secret - which I was applying unconsciously and unintentionally but instinctively at the time - I’ve met the Love of my life, with Whom I’m sharing it for years now. Business-wise, The Secret has helped me to take a remote form of cooperation which satisfied me, although it had not been yet popularized at the time. Speaking passion - also thanks to The Secret - the “Secret in Practice” internet forum, being one of the main pillars of the project, reached the audience of a few hundreds visitors daily - no advertisement or marketing support involved at all.
K: Did it happen that The Secret did not work?
T: Not each and every time the reflection of the Law of Attraction in my life was obvious for me - the realization, however, always came over the time. In my opinion it is actually not possible for The Secret to not work - doubts related to the Law’s operation are usually caused by too surface comprehension, or by human mind’s highly confined scale of perception. The medicine for doubts is trust - trusting in competence and reality of The Power resonating with our emotions we will always achieve each goal honestly pointed within our hearts.
K: Did You experience any crisis regarding The Secret application? If so - how did You handle that situation?
T: This kind of phenomenon is not possible in my case.
K: Comparing to the past - before You’ve discovered The Secret and the time after the reading - what has changed in Your life? Did it make You feel more control over Your life?
T: Since I’ve learned about The Secret (and again - as previously - I’m rather meaning the movie than the book), my life has become more conscious - and my approach to it has been importantly reshaped. For example, I’ve learned what does “getting rid of time” in practice mean - leaving usually often present within human consciousness localizing in time, alongside with awareness of its passage and viewing Yourself through its prism.
Another result of highly advanced (in my perception) practice of The Secret is the move from the objective, outside, standalone reality - to the very private, inseparably connected with me “Wonderland”, where - in a sense - no backstreet, no road and no place are less private than the most intimate space of own room. As a result life has become much more linked with me, metamorphosing into multi-facet dialog taking place between me and God/the Universe - a timeless adventure, a journey in which the most depends on me - in which I myself am taking the most significant directions, by my own attitude (emotion, thought, mentality) delegating to the Law choosing the most convenient paths.
K: In Your opinion, what are the benefits of applying the Law of Attraction?
T: The Secret application may bring benefits on many levels: from realization of a single intention to a radical change of interpreting yourself in relation to own life and reality. You can not only effectively transform Your dreams into real, energized intentions which are shaping reality - but also enjoy a much deeper feeling of the sense of life; life may become a fun, an exciting adventure, of which a scale of pleasure reaches far beyond making any intentions come true - in other words: You may feel euphoria or simply outstanding content with a ‘sole’ fact of Your existence; You may feel invariably and always in the right place and time, You may enjoy a high sense of safety - and, therefore, the sense of life comfort which comes out of it; You may feel always young, or always at age which fits You most; the joy and happiness of others may touch You equally as Your Own; You may feel You deserve everything - thus, enjoying the full freedom of choice; You may love Yourself - paving the way for the Love You desire; finally: You can give example - and by Your Own light inspire the other person.
K: Which rules/methods are Your favorites?
T: One of my favorite concepts - which, btw, I’ve been using intuitively and not so consciously long before learning about The Secret - is to leave the answer to the “How?” question to the competence of God/the Universe. An important benefit of this concept is to relieve human mind from “necessity” of constant thinking on methods of achieving the taken goal. You can, therefore - instead of risking Yourself to the discomfort of lack of knowledge - relax, breathe easily and acknowledge that a skilfully defined and emotion-infused goal being a true desire straight from Your heart - will move the whole Universe, including an unbelievable number of variables acting in Your favor for You to wake up one day inspired by the Answer or realized that Your wish has just came true. What’s important, this concept does not excuse from the “duty” of being aware and open - all of that, however, is performed with more cheerfulness and feeling safe than under pressure/in discomfort.
K: Do You find any flaws within the guidebook? If so, what are they?
T: To be honest, it’s hard for me to find such ones - although I realize that for some people a flaw might be a “concise” character of The Secret - which confines to possibly comprehensive summary of the knowledge about which one could discuss for hours on end. I think, however, that the guide acts perfectly as “introduction to the adventure” - brilliantly summarizing and signalizing important points. The simplicity of the message and a bit of buzz make the book a comprehensive, gathering wide popular readership messenger, carrying a good news for many who long for it subconsciously. Aesthetic, although looking a bit inconspicuously book, turns out to often take the role of a starting point on a road to “the New Tomorrow” - inspiring to further research aiming to deepen the matter.
K: Are there rules from the guidebook which You don’t apply? If so, which ones? Why You don’t apply them?
T: I usually don’t define concrete goals - taking a “general direction” instead, applying a particular interesting “vibrational tone” to life. Therefore there is usually no intention-targeted visualization within my practice - instead, I’m daily driven by rules which may be fantastically summarized as “Following your bliss” and “Acting on your excitement”. This state of affairs is due to that The Secret is more a lifestyle than an occasional tool for me - it’s easier and first of all, more convenient for me to define a sole direction/tone, in the same time being excited and satisfied by obtained in this way habit of receiving nice surprises.
K: What’s Your take on that using guidebooks is a sign of weakness?
T: A weakness would be not using them ;) . I don’t view as a weakness the will to improve own life, the intention of leveling it up, or active interest in the personal/spiritual development - in a beautiful world of multiple potential inspirations surrounding us (misinterpret as thefts of your own credit) steering clear from them due to proud ambition of stimulus-free “managing life” by yourself is unnecessary limitation.
K: Did You encounter critique of The Secret and disprove the existence of the Law of Attraction? What is Your reaction to that?
T: It is not my intention to convince other people to The Secret. Moreover, I don’t view The Secret as a universal tool, right for everyone at every place and time. People are highly diversified, thus they find themselves within very different worldviews - The Secret is “only” one of them. Critique implies lack of acceptance for the diversity - but all of us is an autonomy and has the right to take an individual path. Those who criticize are those who need others’ approval to feel more safe and confident with their own worldview - while it is possible to gain safety and self-confidence out of own hearts.
K: How would You convince a skeptic to apply the rules of The Secret?
T: As I’ve mentioned, it is not my intention to convince anyone - instead I focus on confronting people with the knowledge and observing if and to what degree it is resonating with them. Skepticism indicates that now You don’t feel a given concept “close” enough or that there are some concerns within You. Either way this is a symptom that You are not ready/not “synchronized” enough - some skeptics, however, will be able to identify their independent desire which is more attracting than repelling them. In such a case I’m usually trying to be of service providing with answers or proposing solutions to possible doubts - it is then, however, companionship and gentle stimulation instead of any pressure and convincing.
K: How do You value Rhonda Byrne’s subsequent publication - The Magic and The Power?
T: Earlier on I mentioned that some readers might view The Secret as a book with the ambition to “complex summary”, presenting given knowledge in an accessible, accurate, although superficial way. In relation to The Secret - The Power takes a step further: it’s not only “The Secret refreshed” but significantly extended; I view the knowledge presented within The Power as more mature, more advanced - and the horizon drawn up by it as much wider. For me The Power is a sign of the author’s spiritual evolution - it is more in-depth, insightful, serious; in a sense this is a next level of advancement. Therefore the book has a potential to be more attractive, valuable and satisfying for a reader. I personally has been very nicely surprised and delighted by this ‘next-level-character’. Keeping all of that in mind - as far as the guidebook - The Power is definitely more valuable position.
While the asset of The Magic I consider in its unique, fresh form of a “training/course”, targeted to application of the knowledge of the previous books into everyday life. The Magic comes forward Rhonda’s previous items’ readers, answering the question How to apply this knowledge in practice?, How to apply the way of thinking presented by the author into everyday life? Meantime the book maintains the accessible, clear and concise tone - presenting proportion: minimum theory - maximum practice; using minimum of necessary theoretical introduction Rhonda this time puts the emphasis on in-detail-described proposals of The Secret practices. Interestingly, regardless of the mentioned proportion, the book has also brought much inspiration to me, made me think on many topics and ensured good fun for a whole month. It’s worth to note that the 28-day course concept may furthermore mobilize to intense, systematic practice - which, in my opinion, significantly increases its efficiency.
K: What do You think about the book, graphically-wise?
T: I find The Secret’s visual layout very stylish, warm and of a definite character - which gives the book a unique climate, an original and pleasant background for the content it consists of. Regardless of that I wouldn’t describe The Secret’s layout as minimalistic - it does not disrupt the content, just the opposite: it greatly fits it.
K: Where the idea for the forum came from? How long was it active, about what the participants’ posts were, why it had been suspended? Could You briefly characterize the participants? (» more women or men, the age). Are You still in contact, regardless of the forum’s being suspended?
T: I’ve founded the forum being motivated by the desire to create a discussing platform, strictly dedicated to the Law of Attraction. Earlier on I’ve been posting on the other forum - The Secret had been only one topic among at least few themes discussed there, the main matter was completely different “narration”: The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. As the Law of Attraction topic had been particularly close to me and I had more and more to say about it - I’ve concluded that the reach of my passion perfectly fits for a separate, specialized forum.
It had been present on the Polish Internet for about four years: from November 4, 2008 to August/September 2012.
The topics have been very diversified: from the Law of Attraction application into physical health, to highly popular love and relationships, to descriptions of particular practices of The Secret. A reflection of many issues popular among our users is the book The Secret in Practice of mine.
From the get-go “The Secret in Practice” forum had been a very private act of creation for me - closely linked both with my personal creative inspiration and perspective. Although the inspiration had not vanished, at some point my life course had significantly changed - as a result of which I’ve left several current activities for the sake of the new direction. In other words, being in a sense not present within some areas of current creation - I am no longer able to “vitalize” them with my own “vibration”.
Unfortunately, currently I don’t have access to the precise stats, but I can say that the forum had been oriented first of all toward people who view The Secret as truly functioning within their experience - people who desire to develop and perfect the knowledge which they’ve already been aware of on the heart/intuition level, with a positive insight, ambition and inner energy, going toward deepening their satisfaction; besides, those people were highly well-mannered, open-minded, sensitive, imaginative, and naturally cheerful toward life, or oriented to such an attitude.
In practice I have an occasional contact with a handful of people who are still willing to share their experience with me.
K: The book - what was the idea behind it? Why e-book? Are You going to publish it in a printed form? Is it a form of adaptation the American guidebook for a Polish reader?
T: The original idea inspiring to create my book was to establish a compendium which will close the topics which The Secret readers often find interesting. Usually they’ve been referring to the practical application of the Law of Attraction into everyday life - “the book’s ambition” had been, however, to deepen the theory frame to such a degree when The Secret becomes a worldview - a complex perspective of viewing life and reality.
I’ve been interested in an e-book form mainly due to significantly shorter - in relation to publishing processes - preparation time and easiness of publication. One of my passions is computer graphics -it had been important that I could influence each detail of its appearance: from desktop publishing, page template - to the cover design.
Yes, since the newest release (November 2012) I am actually interested in a perspective of publishing the book in a printed form.
It is definitely not a form of adaptation the American guidebook - as Rhonda Byrne’s consecutive books are a kind of a next step in the author’s evolution, deepening and widening theory and practice - so The Secret in Practice is an expression of my own evolution, also laying out a wider and wider horizon and deepen the matter - via the way and scale characteristic to me.
K: “The Hours with TJ” - what was that about, how many people had participated?
“The Hours with TJ” were two-hour once-a-week meetings, conducted on a special chat dedicated to the project. The meeting was meant for people desiring to consult with me any The Secret-related topics - although the chat had been available every day, and I used to visit it spontaneously, each Friday evening had a fixed scheduled time when The Secreters had my presence guaranteed. Usually there were a few or a dozen or so people involved.
As far as The Secret activities, it’s also worth to mention the author’s podcast The Source of Creation, which I’ve begun to conduct even before I’ve found the forum. Similarly to the book, the podcast has taken the idea of deepening and widening knowledge on the Law of Attraction - usually in a form of energizing, motivational lecture. So far The Source of Creation has a few dozen episodes plus a few episodes within the special series dedicated to Rhonda Byrne’s The Magic.
K: What tendency - regarding interest in the guidebook - did You notice?
T: Conducting the forum (which had provided the most data in this topic) I hadn’t stumbled upon any longer-lasted tendency, either decreasing or growing - interestingly enough, the intensity of interest into the subject had stabilized over the time. This had been the biggest surprise for me once we’ve introduced a serious change within the forum: we’ve changed it from the 100% opened character into a more narrowed down and precise, in which full access to the forum had been dedicated to a very particular group of people (described in the previous answers). I was ready to a significant decrease in new users’ growth at the time - yet there had been a nice surprise: not only there were no decrease in new people, but the ones who positively passed recruitment were not in short supply either.
If I would like to predict the future, I’d guess the increase in the interest in The Secret - due to the recently published book by Rhonda (The Power). Nevertheless, throughout the years of the forum’s existence new users have popped up “out of the blue” ;) .
K: Could reading self-help books have the opposite effect than the desired one? What do You think about it?
T: I think that the effect “opposite than the desired one” sounds too general for me to reasonably address this kind of a doubt. I am aware, however, of an often recalled reason to criticize The Secret as a concept of a too strong emphasis on mental work while too small on acting within so-called “real outside world”. I guess that people who view The Secret this way are concerned that it could take them away from action instead of motivate, therefore causing stagnation, misleading them into illusion of an attractive perspective of idleness disguised and justified by mental work mentioned before. The point is that in my opinion such interpretation of The Secret is too shallow - focusing only on mental tools, while skipping all their context in which they are used. The concept presented within The Secret in my opinion shed new light on the relation between mental work and action, and redefines the latter, broadening its meaning by showing an important causal layer, which so far has not been recognized or has been trivialized.
People who point out that “sole visualization won’t provide fulfillment” forget that visualization is only a tool - while The Secret is not only visualization.
Filed in: interview /5/ | spiritual growth /26/
