Another Take on "The Secret"
The movie "The Secret" has made quite a splash. It is being promoted by some of the most mainstream media entities ever created. There has also been quite a bit of praise for it in alternative press as well. IMO, it is time for another take on this cinematic chicanery. Thankfully, Stuart Davis provides it in an article he recently wrote -- "The Secret - The Spirituality of Narcissism."
Here is an excerpt from the end of the article, summing it up quite nicely:
Rhonda Byrne's Secret is bad Self-Help masquerading as mysticism. Broadly, "spirituality" can mean anything. So when we say spirituality, what level of spirituality are we talking about? What altitude of awareness are we coming from, what level of "spirit" are we referring to? I'm not saying The Secret is not spiritual. I'm saying it's a very low-level of spirituality masquerading as a high one. What it uses as enticements (become wealthy, get a better job, get a lover) are very telling. It is appealing to a person's desire to attain, acheive, and better their personal station. It is promising you a better STORY. And that is indeed one altitude of spirituality. But it's the bottom, and inflating it can end up keeping people stuck in the cycle of suffering even longer. Because the self is addicted to its STORY. The Self is the end of all stories.
Now contrast The Secret with The Mystery. The Mystery, to me, includes all four domains (inner, outer, individual, collective) and does not privilege one over the other. It engages them as tetra-arising. It includes them as inextricably inter-woven, yet distinct in important ways. The Mystery includes every altitude in every domain, and values each of them, but also understand their differences. The Mystery includes every methodology, every ontology or Way of Knowing, but it also understands what they do, and what they don't do. The Secret is but a method, and it will not set you free from The Story. In fact, it will probably suck you deeper into it. It promises money, power, increased attraction, and tells you it is "spiritual" practice. Your story could become so comfortable, why would you ever forfeit it?
Here is an important question: What level of YOU wants to get rich? What altitude of YOU wants a new house, a better lover, an improved Story?
Here's what I feel is a healthier approach. Use the right tool for the right job. The right decoy for the right level. I think it is GOOD to improve our financial station. I think it is GOOD to have an exciting love life. That's why I have a financial advisor. That's why I see a therapist. I need to work on my self. I want to improve my relative reality. But I don't need to invoke "the Universe" or quantum mechanics or magical-narcissistic mysticism to do so. That's tremendously misguided. Want to find your Self? See Swami Sally. Want to get a new house? A better blow job? See Suze Ormon and Dr Ruth. Stop it with this Secret delusion. It's offensive and detrimental to our work in the Mystery.
Perhaps worst of all, until we are truly FREE -free from the Source of Suffering, free from desire, clutching, the assault of our false identities and all their Stories- until we are that FREE, we cannot really be available to help others become FREE. And that my friends, is the hokey pokey.
Comments
When I first watched the secret, I already enjoyed movies like Waking life and What the bleep. Digressing a moment, What the bleep would have been much better had they stayed more to facts. Quantum physics and how our emotions work was great about this movie. It opened my eyes knowing that our emotions (peptides and such) change our cells (over time) by changing our dna (wasn't in the video). It explained how we can be addicted to emotions and unconsciously create situations that would cause these chemicals to release in our bodys.
The thing is While what the bleep and the secret had definite ties, the secret seemed to focus more on Cultivating desire. Its not that cultivating desire is wrong, but its detrimental to the soul, it doesn't feed the soul. As you said the secret seemed to have a almost subliminal message of narcissism.
It seems possible to say that one who watches what the bleep, would invariably watch "the secret"
I would like to say any publicity is good publicity meaning, Someone just being introduced to spirituality by proxy of this movie, could be damaged from this, its just as likely that their will be those who will move beyond this and actually learn something. But one just learning must realize, its fundamental that one is a spirit in a vessle, not a body searching for a spirit. Now if this was the indoctrination, well....
Its always up to the individual to realize we are a one and transform. We are one in spirit in we share the same quantum, our actions are like drops of water in a giant ocean where there is no friction.
Loving ones self and feeling special is great and important,
not when it promotes greed and separateness.
Wanting possessions is fine, I too would like the universe to send riches my way, so I may send it the way of others who need it, and feel they don't deserve it.
Quote from waking life, which quotes a writer named Stephenson (who I don't know maybe someone could tell me)
"Subsisting with out working, made excesses necessary. suicide carried off many, drink and the devil will take care of the rest"
"oh wake up, yea I don't do that anymore,
but yea if you want to wake up, just wake up."
"The biggest mistake you can make is to think your alive, when your
asleep in life's waiting room"
alright one more quote - this ones from a band called snog the song is called
the master, check it out.
"Your in hell, and Satan is the master"