RESEARCH PAPER : Philosophy or Pseudoscience

Research Paper 

Philosophy or Pseudoscience:  A study the criticism around the most popular, new-age self-help book “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne

Rationale

        Among the hordes of books which have influenced my life, The Secret by Rhonda
Byrne hold a unique place. The book had a very deep and profound influence on my life. I
stumbled across the book during one of the worst phrases of my life, and it was instrumental
in helping me overcome that phrase. It changed my outlook towards life and made me more
optimistic. However, no matter how much I relished the positivity and optimistic ideals
expounded by the book, there was always a tiny bit of resistance from the rational side of my
being. I would never bring myself to fully approve of the book as a whole. The underlying
principle of the book was definitely inspiring and life-changing, but the methods adopted to
explain and illustrate it were unsettling. Being acquainted with science from a long time and
also possessing a levelheaded temperament, I was compelled to reject certain parts of the
book, even though I hold the book as a whole very special to me. The book is, no doubt, a ray
of hope for people struggling in life; but at the same time, it also defies all kinds of science
and rationality. This study is a consequence of the perturbing and dualistic notions of mine
about the book.


Page 2

Abstract

        “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne met with phenomenal success all around the world, all thanks
to its high-spirited positive teachings. While the book achieved worldwide popularity and
applause, there was also a considerable amount of criticism targeted towards the book. The
book was blamed of turning people inept and unreasonable by giving them a false sense of
enthusiasm and assurance towards life. Besides this, the book was categorized as
pseudo-scientific for using scientific terms and concepts to explain or justify some of its
philosophical principles. Science buffs mocked the book for attempting to bring quantum
physics into a book dealing with metaphysics and slammed down the scientific researches
and explanations quoted in the book as half-baked knowledge. A careful in-depth exploration
and analysis of the book shows that the arguments brought forth by the critics are indeed
reasonable and make sense, but the critics are heavily outnumbered by the supporters of the
book, who defend the book claiming that it has been a philosophical guide and a pillar of
moral support for them. In their opinion, the very essence of the book is philosophical, so
expecting it to be realistic or scientific is uncalled for. Moreover, the book has indeed done a
whole lot of good to the society at large by exuding hope, enthusiasm and positivity all
around. This point of view is also valid and acceptable. So, determining the accuracy or
worthiness of the book is all up to the reader’s perspective, and they have to draw the line and
be able to differentiate between an optimist and an idle dreamer.


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Introduction

        Self help books are the new big thing in the market, and this doesn’t come as a
surprise because their teachings are certainly needed in today’s hyper accelerated and over
stressed up world. Such books have been around all the time, but “the” one book which
became a revolutionary success in today’s time is The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The book is a
successful attempt at remodeling age-old philosophy for the modern readers, and even giving
out hands on tips and techniques to apply the teachings in real life. The book managed to
become an instant hit with the masses and continues to attract new readers on a daily basis.
But, in spite of being an undisputable winner among books, The Secret has managed to
gathered around its own share of critics. Criticism about the book usually center around it
being unrealistic, impractical, unscientific and deceitful. The book seems to have failed at
convincing the people with a logical and scientific bend of mind, as the bulk of the book’s
critics is made up of intellectuals and rationalists. The book has been highly ridiculed for its
ambiguity and its failure to provide authentic justification for all its assertions and for trying
to makes use of science at certain places to support its ideology. The science used by the
book is said to be half baked knowledge by experts and moreover, using scientific theories to
rationalize philosophy is quite paradoxical. The book is being branded as “Pseudoscientific”
for this very reason. On the other hand, the book and its supporters hold their ground and
claim that the book is life changing and the scientific explanations given in the book are all
valid and verifiable, as evident from the personal experiences of the contributors of the book.
The criticism aimed towards the book is all reasonable, but so are the counter-arguments
made by the supporters of the book. The book is thus a point of heated debate amongst book
lovers, and the very foundational basis and functionality of the book’s subject matter are at
the eye of the storm.


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Content

        Globally acclaimed and applauded, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a 2006
publication, which continues to enthrall the masses and enrich people’s lives with its practical
and down-to-earth approach towards deep philosophies, lack of ornamental or ostensible
content, simplicity of language, hands-on tips and guidance and most of all, its core gist
which exudes hope and positivity. Today’s hyper-accelerated and overstressed world
definitely needs some sort of positivity to keep going, and make optimal use of the book. It's
no wonder then, that the book touched heights of success in a short span of time. Amidst all
the roaring success of the book, there are a few grumbling voices to be heard, which question
the foundation of the principles discussed in the book and also their functionality in the real
world. These voices are typically of two kinds: skeptics and science buffs.

        Sceptics accuse the book of being too idyllic and easily impressing naïve minds and
leading them astray with false hopes and exaggerated positivity. They claim that the book
makes people go delirious with optimism and makes them too air-headed and impractical.
Those with a scientific bend of mind blame the book for propagating “Pseudoscience” i.e.,
making use of half-baked scientific experiments and explanations to prove or justify their
metaphysical ideas. They frown upon the attempts made by the book to provide scientific
explanation of its principles, and slam down all the explanations given in the book as
bunkum.

        All the criticism opposing the book are based on the content and quotes found with
the book, which make the comments valid and reasonable. So, the book is often attacked by
critics who make valid and reasonable arguments to defend their hostile stance.


Page 5


        Sceptics have a problem with very premises of the book. In their view, the very idea
that “merely wishing for something hard enough will make it happen” is totally illogical and
baseless. They are of the opinion that the book sweeps people off their feet with its alluring
teachings of effortlessly “attracting” anything by just wishing for it; but sooner or later,
reality is sure to crash them down to the ground.

        An example from the book would be that of Dr. Joe Vitale, a contributor of the book,
using shopping as an analogy to explain the process to manifest one’s desires in life (The
Secret, 48). He says that people have to just “order” their dreams from the catalogue i.e., the
Universe, and it will be delivered to them without any hinderance. This is frowned upon by a
number of rationalists, as it suggests that everything one desires will be delivered to them on
a silver platter, without an iota of hard work. This idea is doubtful to be of any use in
practical life, and critics are justified in saying that it only makes people whimsical and
lethargic. While keeping a positive attitude is definitely important in one’s life, it isn’t
everything as this book makes it to be. It's just one of the many essential components needed
to succeed in life. The book ignores the importance of hard work and a million other such
things which are necessary for success.

        Besides, the book also specifically advice to not be worried about “how” their wishes are
going to manifest and to just trust the Universe. They just have to declare what they wish for,
and the Universe will figure out the best way to deliver their wishes. This is bad advice, as
not having clarity is a sure recipe for disaster.


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        For example, the book suggests that anyone who wants to get out of debt must
not think or worry about the debt (The Secret, 102). Focusing on debt attracts more debt. So,
they must just ignore the debt and focus on prosperity. Also, they must visualize and act as if
all their bills as checks. This will shift their frequency and attract more wealth and prosperity
to them. This idea will definitely be a disaster in real life. Ignoring debt doesn’t make it
disappear. While constant worrying and fretting about it is not good, completely ignoring it is
taking positivity too far.

        The book’s constant victim shaming is another bone of contention for the sceptics. The book
unanimously declares that everything that happens in our lives is a direct result of our own
thoughts. If we met with an accident, we attracted it. If we are in debt, we attracted it. If we
have an incurable disease, we attracted it. If we have troublesome relationships, we attracted
it. We attracted any and everything in our lives with our thoughts. This is really unfair on
people. It makes them responsible for all their difficult circumstances of life, which they
might have nothing to do with and are nowhere responsible for.

        Above all of these, the book is bashed for promoting narcissism and an “ I’m the Center of
the Universe” kind of attitude. The Universe is described to be a Genie,, for whom our every
wish is a command. This is a very dangerous idea to live by. The Universe is not our Genie
and it is not compelled to fulfill our every wish. This sort of attitude does no good to anyone.

        So, the book and its “Law of Attraction” principle is hogwash, thus declare the sceptic
critics.


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        As to the scientific community, they have their own set of problems with the book.
Not only do they dismiss the “Law of Attraction” principles as nonsense, they also censure
the book for trying to give it the color of science. The book is littered with scientific jargon at
several points, as it tries to back-up its hypothetical claims with scientific explanations.
Trying to add credibility to a metaphysical concept with the help of science is undoubtedly
bizarre, and science folks have every right to speak up against the book for this reason.

        What’s even more outlandish is that the word “Quantum Physics” is thrown around
casually in the book, seemingly without much care much about the consequences of making
use of such a loaded term. There are multiple mentions of Quantum physics in the book, and
it is talked of like a connecting bridge between the world of science and “Law of Attraction”.
According to this book, Quantum physics reveals that the entire Universe emerges from
thought (Secret, 15). A quantum physicist is taken in as a contributor for the book (Dr. Fred
Alan Wolf), and he concurs with the view, saying that the Universe is shaped by the mind.
The past eighty years of tremendous progress in the field of Quantum physics is alleged to
have uncovered and proved the existence of “Law of Attraction”. Another quantum physicist
(Dr. John Hagelin) is seen asserting that our thoughts have a profound influence on the
structure and functionality of our body. The main author of the book, Rhonda Byrne, is seen
claiming that though she never studied science, she was able to easily understand Quantum
Physics and it helped her in ‘feeling the “Law of Attraction” at an energetic level’. Most of
the contributors of the book make the same claim, when none of them are related to science,
either academically or professionally. Parallels are drawn between the definition of energy
according to quantum physics and the definition of God according to religion, just because
Quantum physics says everything is energy.


Page 8


        Quantum Physics as a subject is highly intricate and complex. It quite hard to
comprehend, and needs a solid foundation in science in order to be able to grasp it. Quantum
Physics solely researches on energy and states that everything is energy, it nowhere equates
energy to God or an omnipotent force. Also, the theory of time being an illusion is applied
out of context in the book. Trying to relate a highly complex scientific disciple like Quantum
Physics to a philosophical belief like “Law of Attraction” is certainly absurd. Quantum
Physics and Metaphysics are two opposite poles. Trying to co-relate the two is bizarre. No
wonder that this led to outrage among the science community.


        Some of the lines from the book, which are the most picked ones by critics are:

1. In the introductory part of the book, one of the well-known contributors of the book, Bob Proctor, says that the way we make use of electricity even though we don’t understand how it works, similarly, we have to make use of the “Law of Attraction” even though we may not understand the working principle behind it (The Secret, 21). This quote is singled out and often used to showcase the unscientific temperament of the book, as electricity is a concept which is fairly understood by everyone in today’s world. Besides, equating a scientific phenomenon like electricity to a philosophical one like “Law of Attraction” is bound to attract ridicule.                 
2.  Another line from the book which is often picked up by critics is “Food is not responsible for weight gain.” This comes in the part where the main author, Rhonda Byrne, is explaining how to lose weight using The Secret. She is of the opinion that what we eat has nothing to do with our weight, its only our thoughts that matter. This statement is the one to have anyone scratching their heads, due to its sheer absurdity.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Page 9                                                                                                                                                                                            
3. A highly twisted version of Einstein’s theory of relativity and its subsequent ‘time being a mere illusion’ is made use of in the book. Einstein’s theory of time being an illusion was a hypothesis which questioned the physicality and existence of time in the physical plane. It absolutely has no mention of the future already holding everything that a person desires in the present moment. Its clear that the book quoted the theory out of context and twisted it to suit its own needs.                                                                                                                                        
4. The “Observer Effect” of physics is misquoted and heavily distorted in order to fit into the framework of the book. The theory merely says that observation of a phenomena inevitably causes it to change. It nowhere states that our mind is the one source of everything around us.                  
5. Its true that our thoughts and feelings affect our physiology and our state of health. But this book overstretched the concept to make it appear that our thoughts are the cause of every illness and disease. The book also gives out half-baked explanation of the concept of cell regeneration, and shifts the blame of long-term or chronic illnesses onto the thoughts of the patients! There are also anecdotes of the book’s contributors who claim to have recovered from many deadly diseases and accidents miraculously, just with the power of their thought. One lady (Cathy Goodman) even claims to have cured her breast cancer by herself, without any medication or chemotherapy (The Secret, 128). Her husband, Morris Goodman is said to have returned to normal life from a vegetative state after an accident, merely through the power of his thought (The Secret, 136). Providing such extreme examples is sure to throw the public off track. It's dangerous as there are a number of impressionable minds out there, which can be easily influenced by these and try to implement them in real life. One can only imagine the outcome of trying to cure oneself of deadly diseases merely with “Positive thought”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Page 10                                                                                                                                                          
6. The “placebo effect” is a psychological experiment, which has scientific evidence to back it up. It is a complex and intriguing phenomenon, which is still under research. It is not an example of the amalgamate of science and the “Law of Attraction”.                                                                        
7. While it’s true that our brains generate magnetic waves, they have a very miniscule frequency and do not travel outside our skulls. The claims of the book that the magnetic waves of our brain interact with the magnetic waves of the Earth (The Secret, 9-10) is purely fictional.            
8.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Page 11          

        While these are the various points of criticism against the book, ardent supporters of
the book look at it from a different perspective. They see the book as a philosophical guide
and a source of spiritual light in their lives. They claim that the book has saved them from
harrowing situations by just managing to change their perspective towards life. The book
makes people have a paradigm shift of consciousness, and that by itself is a huge thing. In the
view of the supporters, asking a philosophical book to be scientifically accurate is
foolishness. The book should be read from a philosophical point of view. It is a self-help
book which is written with the intention of giving hope and a new lease of life to people.
That’s exactly what it does, and there ends the matter. Its too much to ask a self-help book to
be scientific. Also, the book makes use of scientific terms just to make its concepts clear, not
to justify or make a connection between the two. As to the sceptics, the book is not meant for
such people. The book is specifically for people who want to change and have an open mind.
So, all the criticism against the book is unfair and irrelevant in the view of the book’s
supporters.


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Results

        A thoughtful consideration towards the above stated excerpts and quotes from the
book The Secret indicate that the criticism aimed at of the book is not uncalled for. Books are
a means of mass communication, and given how easily accessible they are, the contributors
ought to have been more responsible in their assertions and explanations. The book is quite
vague and can be misleading. Playing the Devil’s Advocate, it can also be argued that the
readers too can be held responsible for getting carried away by the content of the book.
People need to be cautious enough to remain grounded and level headed while reading the
book. A subtle sense of understanding and a philosophical outlook towards life are necessary
to be able to extract the essence of the book. The readers are only going to make a fool of
themselves if they take the book too seriously on a surface level. The deep philosophies
expounded in the book demand a refined perspective and sensitivity of attitude. Only then
will the book make sense and be able to put forth its matter without any scope for
misinterpretation or wrong notions. The ground-breaking success of this book is no negligible
affair, nor is it a mistake. The book achieved the peaks of popularity owing to its ability to
captivate the readers with its clarity of concepts, simplicity of language, absence of any kind
of ornamental or ostensible content and most of all, its practical and down to earth approach
towards deep philosophical notions which touches the readers’ heart. So, the right frame of
approach and depth of mindset is essential in order to make effective and beneficial use of the
book.


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Recommendation

        The above stated observations and analysis makes it clear that the book The Secret is
indeed answerable for all its unscientific explanations, exaggerated philosophy and utopian
views and beliefs. While it did carry a noble vision to spread hope, joy and positivity around
the world, the book stretched it too far, and made itself look superficial and unreliable in the
process. That being said, the mountainous amount of positive influence the book has had on
people around the world cannot be ignored. There are a number of staunch supporters of the
book who hail the book as an eye opener and life changer. The book is said to have been a
strong moral pillar for lost people and the gateway for a fresh, positive life for the depressed
and downcast. Given the philosophical nature of the book, it looks unreasonable to put it
under the scanner for scientific proofs and evidence. So, the readers too need to take up some
self-responsibility and make sure that they are not gullible enough to take every word of the
book literally. The content of the book is to be extracted and realized within oneself, not just
read and understood at a surface level. So, readers need to apply their discretion and carefully
tread the thin line which separates a positive and optimistic person from a delusional
fantasist.


Page 14

References

Byrne, Rhonda. The Secret. London: Atria Book, 2006. PDF.


Chabris, Christopher and Simons, Daniel. “Fight The Power” : Sunday Book Review. The
New York Times, 26 September 2010, p BR27
//www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/books/review/Chabris-t.html


Sol, Mateo. “What really is the Law of Attraction?” Lonerwolf
//lonerwolf.com/law-of-attraction/


Radford, Benjamin. “The Pseudoscience of The Secret” LiveScience , 3 February 2009
//www.livescience.com/amp/5303-pseudoscience-secret.html


Shermer, Michael. “The (Other) Secret” Scientific America , 1 June 2007
//www.scientificamerica.com/article/the-other-secret/


Farber, Neil. “The Truth About the law of Attraction” Phycology Today, 18 September 2016
//www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-blame-game/201609/the-truth-about-the-law-
attraction?amp


Radford, Benjamin and Carmichael, Mary. “Secrets and Lies”: Special Report. Skeptical
Inquirer, 29 March 2007
//skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/secrets_and_lies/