Thank you for the clarification, I whole-heartedly believe in the law of attraction. I think you blog yesterday and appearance on the Today Show is a perfect example of The Creative Process in action. Put simply you had a thought on the matter of "The Secret," you were obviously passionate about it, and sure enough you were able to express your comments and effect thousands of people. Amazing.

I am not sure how many people read to this point in the book "The Secret" but towards the end of the book the author makes a reference to another book called "The Master Key System." This book is the basis for which "The Secret" and I think all other self help books are written. It also discusses a little further into what the "science" of the whole matter is.

Again thanks for the clarification. Take care!

My Mom is a 35 year breast cancer survivor. She did not have chemotherapy, her doctors did not believe it would help. She had surgery as was common in the early 70's, and given a terminal prognosis of 12 to 18 months. My Mom has lived the principals of The Secret and is a happy, healthy 86 years old. Her doctor's were shocked and her remission.

The whole; ask, believe, receive, concept along with the gratitude attitude seems to those of us who use it to be quite valid indeed. As for the science - there does seems to be an awful lot of it out there to support this.

Greetings Gail,

I agree with you 100% especially about the powers of positive thinking and all the bennies that come with it.

I did watch the DVD and my biggest concern was the suggestion that we bring things on ourselves. There is some truth to that, however, what about all the tragic things that happen to people, including young children, every day. I have had some very bad experiences in my life that I never saw coming. To think that my thoughts could have caused them is very disturbing.

What about all the troops that are seriously wounded or killed and their families who also suffer through the losses? I would be very upset if I were a young child suffering from a serious disease, or the mother of a wounded or killed soldier, or a Katrina survivor, and watched this DVD.

Parts of the DVD are very uplifting, but I am not sold on the idea that you bring on tradegy, misfortune, and disaster by your own thoughts that you send out into the universe.

I enjoy your segments, Thank you Gail.

I would suggest that Sandy (& others) move into a place of taking responsibility for WHATEVER happened, or happens in your life. To do otherwise is to keep you in a condition of victimization. In other words, things happen TO you & you have no cause or reason...you are a victim in your own life. I am a numerologist and in over 20 years of working with people I have seen how "things that happen to me" are there in their chart! Things such as addictions, abuse, anger, etc. I work from the place of it being there for the lesson to be LEARNED. My interpretation of the numbers have been confirmed to be correct by the client, and once they can get to the point of ACCEPTANCE, the energy of the situation changes from VICTIM to CREATOR. Accepting responsibility for ALL that happens in one's life is much more empowering that being in the place of "..Woe is me!".

To Gail, I would suggest you watch the DVD "WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?" to gain a better grasp of the science of energy.

Blessings to all
virgo6911@juno.com

If interested in learning techniques that could bring this process to life, check out landmarkeducation.com. It's in most major cities. Dr. Saltz, you should attend just for the experience of learning if nothing else! The process gives you tools to create significant impact in your life. Who doesn't want to be extraordinary???

Michael,

I have never considered myself a victim or walked around "woe is me", that is a luxury that I could never afford. I have always taken responsibility for what my actions have returned, good and bad.

My opinion goes beyond that, just imagine visting a children's hospital and showing them this DVD. Several times someone talks about bringing disease to themselves. Or, visit children in a poverty stricken country and pass the word that their thoughts are responsible for where they are.

Sandy
I can appreciate your thoughts on this, but who's to say that showing children this DVD WOULDN'T change their condition. Why would you automatically assume that showing ANYONE this DVD would have a negative effect? As for poverty stricken, etc. there are reasons beyond our current comprehension that have to be taken into consideration. Collective consciousness, karma, and more. Another approach might be to consider what these children/people are teaching the remainder of the world about compassion, caring, generosity, and more. Looking at the poverty stricken areas of our own country you can see where "poverty" is a generationsal way of life, passed down from one generation to another. The model is poverty and the result is poverty.

There are lessons being taught & learned in every situation that exists, whether personal or global. I suggest you read THE LITTLE SOUL & THE SUN by Neale Donald Walsch, for a parable about pre-birth choices made individually.

Michael

My apologies to Dr. Saltz, if you did read and/or watch the Secret. Very few people come away from the Secret with the concept that postive thinking will get you there. In fact, the dvd specifically states that positive thinking alone is NOT the secret so you can understand the confusion that many held that what you got from the Secret is not the same message thousands of others received.

I wanted to respond about victimization because it is an interesting concept. We each make choices all day long... to drive our car, to live where we live, to eat a healthy or an unhealthy diet, to utilize credit, etc. Choices.

If you live in a hurricane zone you have ultimately made a concious choice to face a hurricane if one arrives. While it's unfortunate, you are not a victim. That part of it has nothing to do with the Secret, it's simply common sense.

The Secret gives people the choice to not settle for living by default. If you are making concious choices, you are never the victim of the outcom

I am glad to see these clarifications, Dr. Saltz. I wasn't disappointed or surprised at the negative attacks by the media in regards to the ideas in the Secret. It is to be expected. Sorry, but neither the medical profession nor the media typically deliver "uplifting messages". There is more money in focusing on what's wrong, I suppose.

The message of the Secret is about empowerment, which is frankly something people dearly need in these "Code Orange" times.

I don't think the Secret tells people not to see the doctor. In fact if you watch the DVD there was specific mention in another part of the film not to stop your medicine or treatment. Take the medicine and also take the emotional journey by focusing on health.

If your complaint is only about the woman's story with breast cancer, why not also mention the man who got the highest level of medical treatment possible but used the power of his mind to heal himself after the doctors said he was doomed to be a vegetable? Why not mention that also?

I really don't think you are qualified to discuss the subject of the Secret. You were defensive and negative. Unfortuantely the Today show took the negative road on this subject, how do you think the Today show was created ...someone had a vision. Just like you had a vision to persue your profession and lifestyle. The author had the vision not to come on the show and defend what people have been using for years, she obviously did not want to attract your negative attitude on the subject.

You want science? Read Mollecules of Emotion by former goverment scientist Candace P Bert.

You may be correct in your statement "where is the science" remember this...in matters of the HEART..there is no science.... it simply is.

I think your analysis is dead-on, Dr. S!
We have known about the power of positive thinking for decades, but I don't believe that your brain can send out vibrations that will make everything work your way. What people seem to forget is that reality is not getting everything you want when you want it, even if you want it really bad! Sometimes it is healthier if you don't get what you want, because building strength and character involves some hard work, struggle, and even disappointment. This helps you to appreciate the wonderful blessings you have in your life, and encourages you to take action in order to achieve your dreams. We don't always know what is best for us! Faith and hard work = guaranteed success. It is not totally in our hands.

Thank you for pointing out that negative outcomes are not due to a failure to think positively. I lost my 45 year old husband due to a cancer-related complication several years ago--believe me, he wanted to live. This was about the time I Lance Armstrong survived his cancer. It made me turn off the TV everytime I heard about how Lance Armstrong's heroism allowed him to survive his cancer. Always felt like a slap in the face. I do believe that being positive is important, that prayer is beneficial but it is part of a broader reality.

The HEART...is what has been bestowed to us when we were born. Listen to your breath and be thankful that your Creator gave you the gift of Breath.
Remember...there is a ocean of answers within you. Trust your HEART.

Dear Dr. Saltz,
Thank you for clarifying your opinion and noting how scientific analysis is achieved. I agree with you on that point. Other points made in the Secret helped me double my income in the last three months and led to an improved marriage by helping I identify the limits that I have imposed on myself.

In the future I will continue to expect more balanced, researched, and better analyzed segments on the Today show.

The debate on this blog and your articulated responses have been far more enlightening than the segment on the Today show. Howard Stern and Bill O'Reilly have high ratings for their sound bites, and shock value, but other individuals have high ratings (and are more respected) for being able to articulate an educated argument that enable the audience to think about something differently. Please share this opinion with the producer of that segment because I could not find an e-mail directory on the NBC website.
Have a great day.

Martha,

I am very sorry for your loss. You have spoken from true experience; in addition, explained perfectly how it feels when all the positive thinking and prayers don't give us the results we are hoping for.

There is nothing wrong with realistic thinking.

My husband (also 45) was diagnosed with cancer last summer and believe me, that was the last thing we were thinking about. It never crossed our minds and we were both really shocked to hear that news.
Best Wishes

Having this discussion on The Today Show helped to clarify the message of the popular book, The Secret. It would have been more beneficial if each person in the debate had taken the high road, which you usually do.

There was a moment though, when you detoured to the lower path. As your opponent was facing Matt Lauer and making a point, you rolled your eyes at Matt as if to say, "Can you believe this nonsense?" James Ray afforded you respect during the discussion. It was disappointing that you didn't respond with the same courtesy.

Seeing that interaction between you and Matt signaled that you on The Today Show engage in ridiculing others behind their backs. There is an aura of elitism on that set. The comradery so often depends on aiming joint disdain at something or someone considered inferior. It is accomplished with subtle laughter, facial expressions, body language or blatant derision.

The higher the road, the higher the credibility level. The Today Show has been descending on both counts.

Galeleo couldn't prove the earth revolved around the sun.

We don't have the means to measure vibrations of our thoughts, but it doesn't disprove them.

I know there is something thoughts and emotions send out. Most people can walk in a room filled negative people and "feel" the negativity.
It's not limited by proximity. Without contacting me, my mom always knows when I'm having a rough day. She lives 300 miles away. It goes both ways. Out of the blue I'll get a maddening itch on my arm. When my mom's having a lot of stress her shingle-like condition flares up into a maddening itch. I only know it's happening to her when I feel it.
As for scientific evidence that beliefs bring material things, how about the placebo effect that causes physiological changes? Newsweek did a whole issue about it months ago.
There was once a study showing the majority of cancer patients had worried about cancer. We're obsessed with disease. I knew a woman who'd hear about diseases, worry and finally get it,strange viruses,etc

By framing your reactions to this (admitedly simplistic book) in such an absolute and limited way, - ie that there is no science behind this belief (that our thought, emotions and intentions influence our reality), completedly flies in the face of enormous and rapidly growing bodies of compelling research that strongly support the effect of prayer on relaitonships, health, and even plants. You might actually do some research. Check it out. It is pretty exciting stuff. Also this understanding of the essential flexibility of our individual and collective realities has deep roots in our most ancient wisdom teachings and the relatively recent recognition in quantum physics of the huge impact of the observer on the quantum universal field. Of course you must step out of your materialistic world view, before you can let this new data in. Eventually you will. Just like we now pretty much take it for granted that the world is in fact round. Blessings on your journey.

I am so proud of all the bloggers on here really pointing out some things that Dr. Saltz needs to hear. Yes, we are all made of energy and I have to say, I could FEEL Dr. S's negative energy emanating out of my tv. The one thing I thought while watching you speak Dr. S, was "how sad, this woman is clearly coming from a consumerist perspective and is SO cut off from her own spiritual self and is so EGO active that she couldn't possibly understand this stuff. It's amazing to me as well that you say there is no research to back this up. Clearly you are NOT up on your research.

Dear Gail,

Here is your science.

http://animators.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=110290

It might actually be time to open your mind.

The fact the you felt you had to do a followup shows how affected you are by this whole experience.

Renee

I speak from the perspective of a scientist since I have a PhD and have days filled with studies that can be replicated and data that can be quantified. Yet, I was touched when I read The Secret (I have not watched the DVD) because it opens a door between what we now know as "science" and what we separate in the realm of the mystic or spiritual. Remember that there were many times in history when these forms of knowledge were not as separate as they are now. Additionally, the current scientific methods we have can only test 'science' as it is currently conceived and as such, they are limited. Take homeopathy, for example, so often made fun of by traditional medicine and yet all the tests used to "disprove" it rely on methods that only serve to test traditional medicine. I am not suggesting that people not get treated when they are ill, as Gail seems to insinuate over and over again that the book advocates. Rather, let’s supplement what we know and is not always successful with a little forward thinking!

I buried my seventeen month old daughter ten years ago this year. I followed all the principles, I asked God to heal her, I willed her to be healed and yet she died. I agree with you Dr. Gail the writers of this book is just leading most people down a feel good path, not everyone will get what they want and not everything you ask for you will get. I miss my daughter as if it was yesterday, and I still am angry that God chose to take her away from me. My only girl. I do not think that God is capable of love. think our lives are mapped out by destiny and there nothin on earth you can do to change it. I feel very sad for people who have to buy these books to make their lives better. There are many books like these out there. I think these writers are snake oil salesmen, and people are anxious to hear that whatever they want they can get. Which is all a lie. I have decided to live each day as it comes and I do not expect any miracles or good things to happen, so if I am disappointed in life, I will be prepared.

Dear Kathy,

I saw your comment, and I just wanted to tell you how truly sorry I am for your loss. Although no two loss are ever alike, I lost my newborn infant daughter three days after birth. Ever since this happened to me, I pray not only for myself, but for all mothers like you who've lost children and have had to endure. It is my fervent wish that our late babies live together in peace and joy, even though it is not with us. Bless you.

The "science" behind asking and recieving is a matter of quantum physics. People sometimes reject quantum physics as a science, but I assure you it is indeed a science, albeit a new one (how exciting!?) "A Happy Pocket Full of Money" by David Cameron Gikhandi is a book about quantum physics and how to attract absolute wealth into your life. It's a great companion for "The Secret." Basically, it breaks down our existence into thinking, speaking, acting, then experiencing. It's a little tedious as a six disc audio book, but much more in depth of the science behind the ideas of "The Secret." I believe this is an important discovery for human kind, and I suggest you read more into it before passing it off like just another fad.

Hello, Dr. Gail!
Thank you VERY much for your insightful and scientifically based opinion on the content of "The Secret".
You are a true breath of fresh air, and, thank God, a rational thinker.

Did I see a reference to A Happy Pocket Full of Money there? I've read that book. It's junk science. David Cameron isn't a quantum physicist. He's just writing from received assumptions.

Fred Wolf is a quantum physicist. And probably one of the most open minded around. He was in The Secret. And was later quoted as saying "I don't believe in a law of attraction. The first I heard of it was in the film."

Dr. Saltz: Thank you for your honest and professional assessments on the segment.

Professionals share your concerns. It's now spurring discussings about what can be safely be reframed through CBT modalities and positive thinking.

Many supporters of this new book are speaking in terms of redefining reality itself rather than simply reframing events or circumstances for positive results.

We admire that you asked for the science. Keep up the good work!

Dee

I totally agree with everything I learned from The Secret. I have applied the principles I learned to my everyday life and seen great results. Financially, emotionally, romantically, physically... everything has improved. An attitude of gratitude is a key element. Ask, believe and receive... it really works! I recommend this to everyone I meet. Plus, I always get a parking spot right where I want it! ;)

Kathy

I am very sorry to hear about your daughter. However, being angry with God is not the answer. And, no, not everyone will get what they WANT, they will get what they NEED. Losing a child is definitely one of the hardest trials to have to go through and that must mean you have a very hard lesson to learn. But, rest assured that God has been looking out for you and that He is definitely capable of love. Losing your faith will not bring your daughter back, nor will it bring you any peace on your life. Losing all gratitude for what you have because you are angry at God will not serve you well.

I wish you the best

I agree with this completely, thanks for the post.

The most common cause of breast cancer would surprise everyone. It's good that there is research though.

Bruce