Is Esther Hicks a Hypocrite?
What I don’t understand here is how someone can teach a ‘Law’ and in the same breath talk as if it doesn’t apply to themselves. Esther Hicks got edited out of ‘The Secret‘ DVD which apparently caused her some hardship. This is the same woman who teaches that we attract everything in our experience - absolutely everything, no exceptions through the Law of Attraction. Firstly, for those who aren’t familiar with Esther Hicks, she’s the gal who claims to channel for a group of non-physical beings who call themselves “Abraham“. Okay, with that stated please watch the clip at the link below (sorry it’s not embeddable apparently).
Esther Hicks / Abraham talks about being left out of ‘The Secret’
Video Analysis
Just after the 4 minute mark, Esther / Abraham talks about the reason they were edited out of the documentary. It seems that Jerry and Esther would rather have held onto their Intellectual Property Rights and be edited out of ‘The Secret‘ rather than give them to Rhonda Byrne (Producer of ‘The Secret‘). This would allow Rhonda to market the movie in the manner she thought best. I think that’s fair for both parties and Esther answers the question in a dignified manner.
A Different Tone
Fast forward to 6 minutes 30 seconds, Esther / Abraham says, “What she did was not nice”. She, of course, is Rhonda Byrne. I don’t get it, didn’t Jerry and Esther attract this? If their version of the Law of Attraction is the correct one then they did attract this event into their experience and they, like they advise us, should take responsibility for it. From this point in the video onwards, it seems the claws come out.
Esther says that Rhonda and her team have, once again, suppressed knowledge from the people instead of liberating them with the power of the Law of Attraction. This is because they have ‘left the non-physical part out.’ The non-physical part of ‘The Secret‘ is, of course, Abraham so Esther is saying that without Abraham people are ‘without guidance’ as to how to ‘deliberately create.’
I don’t agree with that. Plenty of people have completely changed their lives by applying the teachings of someone like Tony Robbins, with no notion of how they were ‘vibrating.’ They simply set goals and worked to achieve them. Was the Law of Attraction lining things up for them behind the scenes? Very possibly, I believe in the Law of Attraction but I also know that you don’t need to have ever heard of it for it to work. I guess that’s why they call it a Law, it’s functioning whether you are conscious of it or not -a bit like gravity.
Conclusion
Listen to the rest of the video yourself and draw your own conclusion. It appears to me that from 6.30 Esther / Abraham are speaking as a ‘Victim’ i.e. something happened to Esther. I thought she taught people that nothing could come into their experience unless they were in ‘Vibrational Harmony‘ with it. Perhaps there’s something I’m not getting, if you know what it is please comment below. Maybe Esther’s for real, maybe she’s a big phony. I don’t know for sure but from this video I can see why it would be very easy to draw the conclusion that all is not what it seems.
EXTRA! Just noticed this as I was about to publish. In the video Esther is ‘channeling’ Abraham. When Abraham is speaking, he/she/it/they always refer to Esther in the third person i.e. ’she’ and to Jerry and Esther as ‘they’. In this clip I think ‘Abraham‘ makes a mistake. Go to 4 minutes 20 seconds in the clip. Abraham is successfully referring to Jerry and Esther as ‘they’ but all of a sudden says ‘..turn over our property rights’. Perhaps Abraham was taking a cut of the spoils too, he certainly deserves it for all the talks he gives. If Esther wasn’t sending royalty checks to Abraham vibrationally then what just happened? Who knows for sure but I won’t be rushing out to by her next book or attend a workshop.
Mark McManus
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August 22nd, 2007 23:48
Hi Mark
I’d like to come to Esther’s defense here a bit. Not that she needs anyone to stand up for her.
I’ve been to a couple of their live events, and there are a couple of points I’d like to make.
She jokingly refers to herself as Abester, freely acknowledging that the information that is coming out is filtered through her awareness. And from listening to many of their CDs it is clear that sometimes she is more “clear” than others.
Abe also makes it very clear that Esther is not able to perfectly implement the LOA in her life. In fact many of the funniest stories come from times when Esther was most definitely not doing a good job at using the LoA.
So I don’t think it’s unusual to expect that Esther and Jerry would be upset at being cut out of the extended version. I would imagine that it must be quite difficult to watch all of the work they have shared over the last 20+ years (they’ve been doing this since the early 80s) becoming increasingly popular and feel like they are being left out.
Now you’re absolutely right that she and Jerry have attracted this into their lives. No question about it. But haven’t you ever attracted something unwanted and felt the need to stew over it for just a little bit before moving on?
I know I have!
August 23rd, 2007 00:42
Hi Mark,
I also will come to Esther’s defense. She has even said that she attracted it into her experience. If you listen to Abraham tapes for any amount of time, you hear about the “humaness” of Esther and Jerry.
But to me, the teachings of Abraham are the “essence” of the Law of Attraction, (and I am very grateful they were in the original “Secret” because that is how I found them)
Great post anyway! I gave it a stumble!
August 23rd, 2007 06:41
Edward and Karen, I must say you two are great examples of how to respond to something you don’t agree with, thanks for your lovely replies. You are great ambassadors for the law of attraction as you have seen something with which you disagree and automatically put your focus on anything positive that can be taken from it and didn’t feel offended at all - LOA in action!
Edward, you said, “Abe also makes it very clear that Esther is not able to perfectly implement the LOA in her life. In fact many of the funniest stories come from times when Esther was most definitely not doing a good job at using the LoA.” I think that’s great. We ALL get it completely wrong sometimes, and yes I stewed over mistakes before. Good to hear Esther is no different from the rest of us.
Karen, “I also will come to Esther’s defense. She has even said that she attracted it into her experience.”
I read a lot of material on this and couldn’t actually find Esther saying that she attracted the event. If I had have there would have been no need for the post. Thanks very much for still appreciating a post that you disagree with, that takes a big person.
August 23rd, 2007 17:10
You have been tagged for The Personal Development List. (See my site for details), I would love to have you participate.
August 23rd, 2007 20:27
Thanks Priscilla! I’ve sent you an email via your contact form.
August 24th, 2007 00:44
Mark, you’ve brought up a topic that made me raise my eyebrows, too when I first heard about it.
What I’ve discovered is that if Esther and Jerry didn’t experience their challenges in living deliberate creation now and again, I might have lost hope for myself! It truly is their “human-ness” and their struggles that make me feel better about what I’m up to.
We’re all learning this together! Thanks for initiating a fun discussion about the ambassadors of LOA.
September 1st, 2007 13:42
Mark. And a thank you right back to you, for being open to positively-focused disagreement. It’s this sort of high-vibration exploration that will allow us all to become more positively focused deliberate creators!
This really is an interesting subject. One of the most interesting aspects for me is “Why can’t Esther hold the vibration of Abraham all the time?”
When I’ve seen them live, it seems to me that when Esther is “channeling” Abraham she is really just connecting with her own inner wisdom and higher self.
So why can’t Esther, and why can’t we all, hold that higher vibration more consistently? That’s the key.
Fyi: I didn’t receive an email notification of the later comments. could be my email, but you might also want to check to make sure your comment notification plugin is working.
September 1st, 2007 18:23
Thanks for the nice reply Edward and the heads-up on the comment notification thing. I agree with you on what Esther could be doing as regards her ‘channeling’. It seems very possible that she could indeed be accessing her ‘higher self’. Why she can’t access this more often is an excellent question for all of us to explore. Interesting stuff, thanks again Edward.
September 10th, 2007 18:43
Mark, Thanks for this piece. You are right on target. My friend, Karen Kelly, has an excellent book you will no doubt enjoy: The Secret of The Secret. Well researched, intelligent, and she’s just a good writer.
What I have to say on the subject, like yours, is on line at http://www.thesecretantidote.com. If you have time, please take a look. And if you like what you read there, all help in distributing “The Antidote” will be much appreciated.
After all, The Secret (book) cost $24 bucks, but “The Antidote” is free.
I’d love to send you a copy of my book, Embracing Fear. My book is written to guide readers to face and move through life’s lessons, whereas The Secret is a “misguided guide” for readers to avoid life’s lessons, by wishing them away. (After all, when I am debt — according to The Secret — I am to visualize checks in my mail box, rather than stop accruing debt or earning more money.) If you are interested in the book — no charge, you just manifested it — send me a mailing address to thomrutledge@earthlink.net. In fact, I’ll extend the offer of a complimentary copy of Embracing Fear to up to 10 of your subscribers, if they will email me, mention your blog, by the end of the week (9/14/07).
Keep up the good work. Thanks.
Thom Rutledge
http://www.thomrutledge.com
http://www.thesecretantidote.com
September 30th, 2007 16:34
[...] but only seem to think it applies to them when things are going well. After Esther Hicks seemed to dodge responsibility for being edited out of ‘The Secret’, it is now David Schirmer’s turn to play the victim. He has allegedly been found out as a [...]
October 13th, 2007 05:43
I personally believe that it was meant to happen in order for Esther & Jerry Hicks to become more widely known. Had they not gone onto the original taping of The Secret, I would not have heard of them (thank goodness I have) and editing her out of the secret only created more of a buzz, thus, increasing her popularity. It truly was a blessing in disguise for Esther & Jerry Hicks, good for them I say :):):)
November 21st, 2007 14:41
We are human while we live here. This includes those who channel guides or their higher selves. Why would we the people not make apparent “mistakes” along our journeys? Mistakes can be learning stimuli; challenges to direct our evolution of desire.
Mistakes are opportunities to find ways to become more joyful. I love and appreciate Estherham and cannot begin to tell how much my application of their work has added to my life. I have studied and applied their teachings for years and have learned to use my own mistakes as doors to new thought and growth. Is there such a thing as a perfect person? The idea that a person who delivers a message is a perfect example of that message has never been true in my experience. A lot of people write about the oversimplification and dangers (or even fraud) of some of the teaching in the Secret. Actually it can seem at first glance that blame could be inferred from the message of responsibility for life creation. The equation of responsibility and blame has been the main sticking point for many. I think Estherham gives a much better presentation of what The Secret has attempted to convey in this regard in particular.
November 22nd, 2007 21:16
Esther is human. In other workshops she’s told about having negative feelings and reactions to situations, but then demonstrates how she raised herself over them.
This is nothing different.
Your review and comments to others sound more like “I’m right, and you’re confused” type of reactions. Again, if you truly understood the messages of Abraham, you would see that we’re all right.
February 1st, 2008 23:29
My personal take on the subject is that alot of information that was included in her books “The Law of Attraction” and “Ask and is is Given” was omitted from the “Law of Attraction” film. Can’t sy I blame her since her teachings in comparison to the film are more thorough
April 15th, 2008 15:26
I attended an Abraham-Hicks workshop at the Biltmore House about one year ago in which Esther/Abraham spoke at length about being edited out of The Secret, and all the emotions she went through working her way back up the emotional scale, even joking about “spending more time than was necessary” in the anger phase. Esther and Jerry have about a billion tapes and CDs, and on many of them they give examples of attracting things they didn’t want. In one story they gave an example of precisely how they had attracted some construction people crashing onto their property. In another example Esther related how miffed she got when the detailers did not correctly center the “Life Is Supposed To Be Fun” sign on the back of their Monster Bus, and the man pointed at it and said, “Hey, lighten up, lady! Life is supposed to be fun!” Esther makes absolutely no secret of the fact that she is human, and her workshops are always full of stories from Esther and Jerry’s lives. I have studied them, and Abraham, intently for almost five years. I am skeptical by nature, and I have seen many frauds in my lifetime. But in a world of charlatans and quacks, I have come to the conclusion that Esther and Jerry are genuine; they are the “real thing,” and she is genuinely channeling. And she has said many, many times that ANYONE can channel Abraham. Listening to the stories she tells about herself, she makes it clear that you do not have to be perfect to channel. That, in my opinion, is the most inspirational thing of all!
April 30th, 2008 20:12
FYI…it’s also explained in the comments on this clip that earlier in the session a woman was questioning Abe about her co-workers not thinking the woman was “nice”. So Abe was using that word in the context of the previous question…just saying that like the previous questioner it wasn’t Rhonda’s job to care about whether she was being being judged “nice” or not about her actions. Which is why Abe follow quickly by stating Rhonda is a good teacher who knows what people are ready to hear. Does that make sense?
May 10th, 2008 15:48
Reading the responces to Mark’s criticism has left me with that feeling you get when you have one of those ‘breakthrough’ moments in life. For one thing, most of the negative comments and criticism online, regarding Abraham teachings, appear to be made by those that do not have personal knowledge or true solid research of the Abraham teachings. I was introduced to this site due to a friend’s research of Esther and Jerry Hicks in order to find the dirt on them. This site is the ‘worst’ that he could find. I admit I had a brief second of fear that ‘the world’ was going to try to take Abraham away from me… Sillly me! But these postings have brought me back up the scale from that. I am grateful to those here that keep reminding me to stay focused on those experiences I want in my life. Sometimes I feel like such an amateur in the Abraham teachings, but then I looked up the word amateur… ” a person who admires something; devotee; fan”. Another friend calls me the manifest queen and I realize how easily I have manifested great things into my life through the focusing that I learned to practice through the Abraham teachings.
And so… the human side of ALL humans is always apparent.
July 2nd, 2008 06:56
Thanks for this interesting analysis. I was lead to this article after watching the clip, because I was wondering what “edited out” of the Secret meant.
I have seen 4 European versions of the Secret, in English, in English with Spanish subtitles, in French and in Italian. It is always the same version and it does contain Esther Hicks.
How could this be? So the European version of the Secret, which would have never reached us withough the forceful marketing activity that is behind this project, contains Abraham’s teachings.
By the way, I don’t agree with Esther when she says that the Law of Attraction works the same way as gravity. Many people don’t know that they are attracting what they don’t want, and it is about time these ideas are spellt out so that peole understand how the law works.
The earliest references I have seen to the Law of Attraction in Italian were in Shakti Gawain’s book Positive Visualisation (from the foreword I believe), but I found the Secret mroe helpful, in that it provides visual material to back up the theory.
Can you confirm to me that the current version of the Secret marketed in the US does not contain E. Hicks.
Thanks and regards
Giulia
July 2nd, 2008 07:05
Private note for Mark: I forgot to check the spelling before posting my comment. I would appreciate you editing the post for me if you have time.
Thanks
Giulia
July 2nd, 2008 10:39
I am sorry. I believe there may actually be a form of plagiarism at the root of what I said. I have just viewed the English version of the Secret I have and E. Hicks does not appear atall. What may have happened is that I have watched the Secret online at least 4 times (English version with Spanish subtitles) before purchasing the DVDs in English and Italian and seeing the French version. All the visual material and also the accompaning comments made by E. Hicks in that online version I saw are now used with other speakers.
This seems a form of plagiarism, though I am not really entitled to tell. If the Hicks have a legal contract protecting their intellectual rights, they have certainly worked it out.
But I do understand how people can get confused seeing different people (or maybe actors?) playing E. Hick’s role in the movie.
Apologies for the confusing comments.
Giulia
July 4th, 2008 17:29
I’m new to Esther/Abraham, and have been reading “Ask and It Is Given” and finding it wonderful. Today was the first day I went online to listen to Esther/Abraham speak. Then I found this video clip you link to, and the first thing I thought was, “Maybe this is *just* Esther speaking, a woman who, with her husband, have figured out how to make a living off this channeling bit. Maybe she’s gotten so good at it over the years, but sometimes, she slips up.”
If you listen to the Introduction to Abraham on the Abraham-Hicks website, Abraham speaks with a funny accent, but here in this video, it sounds just like a woman named Esther talking. I find that odd. If there were indeed forces being channeled through a woman, wouldn’t they speak in the same voice no matter how many years have passed, since time on their plane does not exist?
While I find the message of the Law of Attraction to be lovely, and the Hicks’ goal of teaching people to love themselves and their lives and to make the very best of it, I still have some serious doubt that this woman is truly channeling.
July 12th, 2008 18:00
several hundred thousand copies of the dvd were sold with ester hicks in it before the production company decided market the secret more aggressively. the way in which they marketed it didn’t agree with the contract the hicks had with “the secret”. so the hicks had a choice to be edited out or be on board with the aggressive marketing. the hicks decided to be edited out.
with an ending there is a natural tendency to grieve. and i read and heard from ester herself that she was upset. she is human after all.
i don’t think, however she is in anyway a hypocrite. the hicks have millions and then some and are still reaping the benefits from the secret after all.
another point, they don’t care if you believe that “abraham” is channeled. their goal is to get folks to be happy.
August 12th, 2008 01:22
I was in a “boring” place in my life. Went to the bookstore, not sure what I was looking for, but feeling in my gut I would find what I was supposed to. Pulled “Ask and it is Given” off the shelf and brought it home. I would not consider myself a person easily influenced. I am a skeptic, although I am also quite spiritual. I loved the reading, and ordered one of Esther and Jerry’s inexpensive CD’s, which I also enjoyed.
I’ve come to the conclusion that their teachings make me FEEL GOOD. It has made me more positive, happier, and most importantly I feel motivated about my life again. So many people are one religion or another, Democrat or Republican, or define themselves by a race, or whatever it is that they idenitfy with. I feel I am…Who I am…and if the writings of “Abraham” makes me feel happy and positive, why would I ignore that? It can cause no harm…only good to go through life viewing the glass half FULL. I don’t care how much *money* the Hicks make from making me feel GOOD. Afterall, there is plenty to go around, and some things you just can’t put a price tag on.
August 14th, 2008 20:07
People can sugar coat this all they like, but Jerry and Esther, like all the other “Law” of Attraction peddlers are nothing but modern day snake oil salesmen. I place Law in quotation marks because it drives me crazy that people have coined attraction as such. It can’t be a law, because it does not work every time- actually, it probably doesn’t work most of the time! Law of Gravity- now, there’s an actual law!
Anyways, Jerry Hicks is a former Amway salesman who got bored of that and then got into doing “get rich quick” seminars. Got bored of that and suddenly his wife (also of the Amway circuit) starts channeling a group of entities of infinite wisdom? Give me a break!
My best guess is that the Hicks saw how lucrative The Secret was becoming and decided to pull their section so that they could later bring out their own version. And if you disagree with me, just take a look at what they ended up calling their DVD: The Secret Behind the Secret! Talk about riding on the coattails of another. Must have really burned Rhonda’s butt when she saw that one!
Wake up people! The Hicks are literally feeding of the incredulity of the masses!! Get back to your critical thinking.
August 15th, 2008 05:23
Dear Erika,
I see your point about the difference between the law of gravity and the law of attraction.
I feel it was wrong to compare the two.
It is as though the law of gravity is a two-dimensional law, as it involves earth and whatever is falling towards the earth.
With the law of attraction, there are three elements in the equation: the point of attraction, feel well and feeling bad. We were raised not to understand this point, even though it is mentioned in the Gospels and by other major spiritual masters. But the point is that energy flows where attention goes. So if you focus on what you do NOT want you will get what you do NOT want, it you focus on what you DO want, you will get what you DO want.
These ideas where channeled and brought to the word by the Hicks thanks to Abraham long before the Secret movie was ever conceived.
In my opinion it is just a matter of having the sensitivity and patience to explain it to people, and let alone those who are not interested about finding ways of feeling better.
Same goes with the Secret. Some will be excited about watching it and will watch it many times, because they are ready to hear it. Others will not find the time to watch it, because they have either already found out how things work, or do not wish to find out, at this stage of their lives, or cannot even conceive of finding out, because they are too distressed with what life has delivered to them so far.
August 15th, 2008 05:57
Erin, I absolutely agree with you. The Law of Attraction just dropped into my hands (having been translated into Italian as a result of the Secret), and led me to purchase Ask and it is Given when I travelled to England a month later [Law of Attraction in action, I would say]. Abraham exlains it all very well, and makes me feel better, and I know other people have felt better too, as a result of listing to the CDs. I agree about everything else you have said.
August 16th, 2008 03:14
Erika… Get a grip. If you keep going around judging things that you don’t even understand, you will never learn anything from that. Abraham has been speaking publicly since some time in the late 1980’s I do believe. I began listening to Abraham a couple of years ago, and I have also investigated the Secret. The Secret message seems weak in comparison to Abraham. Not that it matters though. Because…. If you keep focusing on the negative, no matter which one you are involved in, the fact is you will only experience more of the same. Give it a try to prove me wrong. Take a month off and only focus on one purely selfish desire or want. There will be changes in your life as a result. And the results will surprise you. If you are not blind. There will be change. It’s inevitable.
August 16th, 2008 19:50
For those of you who are attracted to the Teachings of Abraham and would like to discuss them with like-minded folks in an atmosphere of FUN, Love, and respect for the Teachings as well as for Jerry and Esther and Abraham, I warmly invite you to our Forum:
http://www.TheAbeForum.com
I am the moderator of the forum. Please come if you have read, heard, or watched some of the Abraham material already and would like to have a place in cyberspace to meet other “Abers” and talk about how we’re using these teachings in our lives.
As for Mark’s original comments - others have already brought clarity to the “issues” he brings up, and there seems not much utility in reiterating that Esther is a human being that chose to come here and experience contrast just like the rest of us… so I’ll leave it at that.
See you on the Forum!
Jody
August 18th, 2008 19:14
Boy, oh boy. Where should I begin? I see that most of you seem to be devout “Abers”, so while there likely isn’t much point in posting again, I will make one attempt at explaining my concerns and then I’ll be gone.
I, like most of you, was once a strong follower of the Abe/Hicks teachings- yes, I read the books and bought copies for others, listened to the DVDs, attended a workshop, I also had close friends who worked for the Hicks and were part of their entourage. Heck, I even spent a few hours with the Hicks themselves on their bus one evening.
I considered myself a New Ager, I guess, and did every course from here to Timbuktu on the magical, alluring LOA. But then one day, I kind of “woke up” and suddenly felt very uncomfortable with it all. It was like I had been living in some kind of deluded fog- I had become totally credulous! When did this happen? When did I lose my ability to use discernment and critical thinking? As a New Ager, I always believed that I was totally open-minded, that it was the skeptics who were narrow and close-minded. Now, I see things completely the other way round and I have never felt so free to have rid myself of all the trappings of the LOA brainwashing, if you will.
I started to realize that myself and other Aber friends I had couldn’t utter a sentence without issuing some robotic, feel good Abe quote like “all is well”, “change your vibration”! When did we stop thinking for ourselves? How did I get to the point that I couldn’t utter a sentence without first asking myself what I thought Abraham would say? I’m sure people around me thought I was half nuts, now that I look back, but I was convinced that this was an infallible, mystery of the universe unlocked!
Now, this is what makes the Abe teachings so alluring: they bait you with magical notions like: “There is nothing you cannot be, do or have and we want to assist you in achieving it”. Who doesn’t want to hear that?? But, any rational, intelligent person knows that that very promise is completely false. Come on guys, surely you know that something rings untrue about it to you as you utter the words? I realize now that even as I was spewing forth all the lovely, sugar-coated Abe phrases, there was something inside me that didn’t feel right, that felt like a sad lie.
Furthermore, I began to notice that friends I had- who were die hard Abers, slowly began to distance themselves from friends and even family members who did follow the teachings. And it wasn’t just my friends- it was other Abers on the forums, etc- beware people! There were many a posting from devout fans suggesting that people leave their non-following partners, family members and friends. It was almost as if they felt that by simply being around these non-believers, they were at risk of attracting the negative to themselves! It was becoming a little much for me. I found myself, as they were, terrified to think a “negative” thought. What was I going to attract by thinking that negative thought?? The possibilities were so frightening, as we had been told that there is absolutely nothing that comes into your experience that you did not attract with thought. My God. I was literally exhausted trying to train my mind on purely positive, abundant thought- and I have always considered myself a fairly upbeat, positive person! But as with anyone who is only human, I had periods of low from time to time, which led to pessimism and really- human thinking.
Anyways, as I started to question this strange and so-called absolute law, I realized that there were many times in my life where I was feeling crappy and pessimistic about how things were going and then suddenly, out of the blue- bam! Something wonderful happened to bring me out of the doldrums. Now, how can this happen if I had only been thinking the worst, most bleak of thoughts?? And conversely, what about all those times when things were going so incredibly well and I was feeling on top of the world about school, love life, etc and then something horrible happened - again out of the blue? How was this to be explained?
Another thing to ponder: what of the fact that Abe teaches us that we are absolutely in control of our lives- absolutely. After all, we are Source (God)- we are the co-creators of our own realities and experiences? If this is true, then at what point does my free will override another person’s? Ie: My choice to get in my car and drive down the road, while at the same time someone else, also exercising their own free will and Source-like creativity decides to get into their car drunk and hit me head on? Do you really think that because I am in my full on Abe mode, thinking positively and cheerily, it will prevent the car accident?? If you think so, dear friends, you are really living in a deluded, dangerous fog. Let me put it to you this way: Who decided that the desire of the Nazi soldiers canceled out the desires of the Jews who died in the Holocaust? Here we had thousands of soldiers thinking “We want you to die” and we had millions of Jews saying “We don’t want to die”. Whose free will and desires won out???
The problem with the vapid, Pollyanna-esque Aber is that they only speak of attracting lovely things- money, good relationships, good health, etc. But if you really stop to think about it, if the LOA is absolutely true all the time as Abe and the Secret claim, then the social, moral implications would be unthinkable. Because, not everyone out there is sending out good, or causing good happy things to happen! And you can’t suspend the LOA for only happy, perfect situations, people.
In her article The Secret Behind the Secret, Ingrid Hansen Smythe couldn’t have said it any better: “Pity the believer in the LOA, therefore, who is in the unenviable position of having both to congratulate a little boy on attracting a bike, and also explain to all those other unfortunate ones that, due to their negative feelings, they attracted an airplane piloted by terrorists, a tsunami, multiple sclerosis, cancer, genocide”.
I don’t think anyone can argue, and I certainly don’t, that thinking positively is better than thinking negatively. If I constantly get down on myself, believe that I am no good, will never get that job, etc, I likely won’t ever get up the initiative to get out of bed, rewrite my resume, find the confidence and motivation to apply for that winning job. This is common sense. What is dangerous thinking is that merely thinking or feeling (positively or negatively) creates our every waking moment of reality and causes things to happen to us. It is very dangerous. Not to mention victim blaming, creating apathy (ie if everyone is vibrationally attracting to themselves what they put out there, then what would be the point of helping anyone else?? If this is what they “deserve” or are creating- why should I interfere with another’s vibration?)- in fact, I can remember one of Abe’s teachings once that stressed we cannot interfere with another’s vibrational alignment anyways. So, why help anyone ever again? Oh- I forgot- we are supposed to be being Selfish! Selfish is a gooooood thing! Right.
I guess I just believe that there will always be things that happen which are totally, unequivocally OUT of our control. No matter who we are, where we go or how happy and positive our “vibrational alignment” is. There will always be things that happen that will leave us wondering why- and we will certainly not always be privy to the answers……some things just aren’t meant for us to know.
We just live our lives, being the best people we can be- helping others whenever we can.
I leave you with another bit of reading if you choose:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/interview-the-couple-who-claim-they-can-make-you-rich-beyond-your-wildest-dreams-456087.html
This is an interview with the Hicks that, if you have half an intelligence- which I know you all have, will leave you shaking your head and running the other way.
Best regards,
Erika
August 19th, 2008 00:59
Dear Erika
I have been reading these comments without replying myself because I feel it relates to communicating with a brick wall…!
Having said that, your last post stirred a feeling of wanting to ask….
*** Who are you trying to convince here, me OR you??? ***
Should Esther’s work bother you, WHY do you continue to come onto sites “looking” for something to whinge about? I’d say your LOA work is working out just perfectly!!!
SO WHAT, you met with them for a “few hours”… As the old saying goes, “you can park a bicycle in a garage…. Doesn’t make it a Ferrari”…
In other words, I’d hardly equate you as being an expert on them!
Should I choose to believe in your “theory”, will you promise I will be as happy and content as YOU??? lol
I don’t force my beliefs onto others and expect the same in return! I have never left any loved-ones in the course of studying Abe’s teachings nor do I intend to.
I remember Abe talking about NOT leaving anyone (or situation) for the sake of trouble or blame, only to work out your struggles within that very environment THEN in your better-feeling place make a decision! Did you get a different tape program to me???
The people you know who have left others / loved ones has not been by Abe persuading them to do so!….. So, you have friends that are a little slow, I understand! Personally, I wouldn’t be the one bragging about it on here!!!
For some time when I first came across Esther & Jerry, I found myself looking for anything that would put holes in their credentials, and this site was about the worst thing I could find, however, reading your stories make me laugh and it just cements the fact that they are more in-tune with the true nature of our being than anyone I have come across!
Regarding your “interview” link… We all know how true and just journalist are!!! “NEVER LET THE TRUTH GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY”;) LOL
On a personal note, years before I even discovered Esther, I meditated on a daily basis and started getting the exact same sensations she spoke of. From the head movement to twitches and that disconnected feeling, even astral-travelling! THAT was what made me know in my gut that they are the real-thing! You can only ever know what works for you on a personal level and even though I could scour your last post with a fine tooth comb and explain my beliefs on it all, it would do you no good because you’re not interested! So…. DON’T be, do your own thing, I just ask you once more, who are you really trying to convince? Does it hurt you that others have beliefs that you don’t? Do you go to churches and convince them that their theories are all incorrect also? Do you go to places of medical assistance and tell them their theories are incorrect? WHO CARES WHAT OTHERS CHOOSE TO DO SO LONG AS THEY ARE HAPPY DOING IT!
May I suggest if you don’t like Esther’s theories, you try and find something that works for you because clearly you’re not a happy camper! As “upbeat” as you protest!!! I believe you, 1,000’s wouldn’t
LOVE TO YOU AND YOUR CLARITY:)
August 19th, 2008 01:22
Wow! You sound pretty darn happy yourself! Yikes! Your ridiculous post is exactly why I stay away from Abe fanatics.
There is so much more I could have said, but again, it would have been lost on fundamentalists such as yourself.
The only thing you and I agree on seems to be “Live and let live”. I was merely stating my views and opinions on Abraham like you have…..
One does not have to be an Abe follower, or shy away from visiting sites to share opinions, to be happy! Jeesh!!
Actually, Thom Rutledge, who posted here said it all far more eloquently than I did in his brilliant article “The Antidote”. Check it out if you can open your mind long enough.
Again- yikes.
I wish you “clarity” someday too, my friend.
August 19th, 2008 01:38
Thank you Tanya! I was trying to figure out how to put this all into words. You did the work for me. It is exactly as you put it… Why all the jumping hoops hubbub of trying to convince others why to not listen to Abraham? Other than some people always feel the need to go from one extreme to another. We have all been disappointed in life. That is why we seek things that make us feel good. And if Erika feels good in her creative writing, then go for it. However, if the creativity is trying to take someone else down, there will be concequences of being doubted. Although I can empathize a little, as I used to think I had to attend church every Sunday to get to heaven. Took a longer time to get over that one.
My experience with Abraham?? I wanted to go to Scotland and spend time there getting to know the geography and the people and a few other personal issues. I focused on that and I ended up experiencing over six weeks of Scottish bliss over there recently. I did not focus on getting the money, I focused on the experience. And I had the experience of a lifetime.
I have also focused on other things that I have had leaps and bounds in experiences with. (career, education, relations, etc) and have learned a lot of what I don’t want along with the goodies too. It works for me. Best of all, I finally quit blaming outside sources for my life experiences. Thank goodness, I got it, that I am responsible for my life now. It gives me a great sense of “I can be or do or have whatever I want” And no one else is responsible for the experiences or outcome but ME. A bit difficult to put into words how that has made such a change in my outlook of life, but just know that this is as sincere as it gets.
I will not ever say that every day is perfect, nor that I don’t have down times or even experience feelings of depression. But I do know that life is better with the knowledge of the Abraham teachings. Better than it was before.
Thank you Esther, for being and doing and having your stuff, and putting yourself out there (in spite of the Erikas who so sadly need to do ‘whatever’) so that I get to make a choice. Listen…OR… Don’t listen….
And with that, this will probably be the last time I will post. This is not where I really want to put my focus at this time.
August 19th, 2008 01:50
WOW, GOLLY, GEESH AND YIKES back at ya
I had fun co-creating with you too Erika, however, anything more is totally upstream 
xox
You’re right on the money with that Gypsy Anna “And with that, this will probably be the last time I will post. This is not where I really want to put my focus at this time.”, after I posted I figured I should end on that very note also!
LOVE TO YOU ALL
:) 
TANYA
August 19th, 2008 01:53
Almost forgot… Thank you Jody… For the most part I like the Abe Forum site. People are ‘people’. Some do great things and become great people. It is inevitable, there will probably always be some kind of controversial contrast regarding great things. (see above for example)
Life is always in motion and always changing. We can make choices in life as to what changes we want to allow ourselves to flow into. But there is no guarentee as to the exact results of any given choice. So just choose which wind to carry your sail and go with the flow.
August 19th, 2008 03:59
Hey ERIKA
I figure while I’m right there upstream, I’m gonna go for broke before I let go of those oars again
ROFLMAO
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POINTING OUT OLD “TOM RUTLEDGE”…! I OPENED MY MIND AS YOU SO ELEQUENTLY PUT IT
LOL IT WAS SOOO FUNNY TO ME RIGHT NOW READING, IT, GO ON PEOPLE, CHECK OUT HIS LINK: http://www.thesecretantidote.com/
THE MAN CLAIMS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHARLATANS, THUS ***************** HE IS SELLING THE SECRET ON HIS SITE **************** AND HIS OWN BOOK FOR $$$$ MONEY $$$$! BUT ALAS “”"NO”"” HE IS NOT IN IT FOR THE MONEY EITHER!!!
;) 
ROFLMAO
I ask you, WHY would you mention “The Secret, Esther / Jerry Hicks / Abraham) UNLESS YOU ARE RIDING ON THE COAT-TAILS OF THE ONES WHO HAVE ACHIEVED SUCCESS!!! QUICK, HERE COMES THE GRAVY-TRAIN THOM, HURRY OR YOU WILL MISS IT
LOLOLOLOL Which is EXACTLY what Thom Rutledge in a RUT-(on the) EDGE is, kinda’ like a seagull, always after the scraps left behind!!!
OMG, if he is your source of inspiration, you’re in big trouble kitty… LMAO
ANYONE READING THIS STUFF, GO FOR WHAT FEELS GOOD IN YOUR GUT, AND THROW THE REST AWAY!!!
I’m good now, Thank You for that laugh I had been looking for
xox
August 19th, 2008 07:06
Erika, many thanks for your second explanatory post, I now see where you are coming from and that you are well acquainted with the matter.
The idea of people leaving behind their families and speaking in robot-like ways is rather threatening, and it is typical of cult-like brainwashing.
I feel it is extremely important to preserve one’s critical perspective, and - as far as I know - Abraham’s teachings do not suggest robbing you of your own point of you (which you clearly expressed).
Having only read 2 books (one of which in Italian) and watched the two versions of the Secret (with and without Esther Hicks), I would say that the problem lies with humans interfering with the basic spiritual principles coming from Abraham.
I feel you are perfectly entitled to speak your mind as you have done, and see no reason for mocking you about it. In fact, I thank you for the details of your own personal experience, which I would not have been able to know without being personally involved in conferences etc, as you have, since I do not live in the USA.
Again, I believe the problem lies with how humans filter the spiritual message through their personal perception lens. I agree life cannot be under our control, only what we personally make of our own experiences at an emotional level can. But that is the area where the law of attraction works, so I feel personal work in that area without interferences coming from others is critical in order to see any results.
I assume that, by listening to the conferences and to the Hicks’ fans you get to hear extreme, contradictory and even ridiculous conclusions, which Abraham as a spiritual group of entities would not have meant.
As to the possibility of humans making a business out of optimistic philosophies, I am quite sure this happens all the time, and it is up to the people involved to decide how “selfish” they need to be in order to feel well about themselves and possibly make this world a better place.
I am sure that Abraham’s reference to selfishness was not meant to be against the Golden Rule, but it is up to the individual to make the critical choice among the various degrees of selfishness that can be experienced in order to help rather than harm others.
Again, your description of the cult-like fanaticism behaviours you have come across is a danger signal, and I feel responsible action should be taken not to encourage such things.
Of course the same happens with any religious beliefs when belonging to one church or another.
The reason people discuss such things over the Internet, rather than walking into a church screaming and turning the place upside down is quite obvious.
By the way, I wonder why no books exist to teach the law of attraction to small children. Once we are brought up to believe ridiculous stories about our purpose in life, the way we are supposed to lead our lives and what we must not do in order not to go to hell, it becomes a great struggle to allow ideas such as the law of attraction into one’s life.
The reason I would not join the Hicks’ discussion forum is that I have the feeling I would end up being banned or at least prevented from freely expressing my point of view. I have seen the sweet look in Esther eye’s throughout The Secret and was rather uncomfortable with the look in Abe’s eyes in the video referenced here. I did not even realise it was the same person speaking until I read through a few posts here.
I’d love to correspond with you privately if you wish. My e-mail address is giulia.devivo@fastwebnet.it.
August 19th, 2008 15:06
Abraham is not a religious teaching……..
Unfortunately it is in our nature to blame something or someone else for our own failures, mistakes and plunders…
The best thing to do is take responsibility for yourself and your own actions. I don’t see the Abraham teachings as powerful enough to disolve marriages or relationships. There must be other issues beyond what some stranger says to do that……..
But the teachings could be a good excuse if one were looking for a way out already…….
Once you quit blaming others for your desicions, then you can really get a grip on how to manage your life. NO ONE manages my life for me. NO ONE. Unless I decide to allow that. Paranoia can be a tricky thing when someone who has it tries to do something ‘unconventional’ or tries to make changes in their life. Evolvement in spiritual teachings is a natural occasion. The teacher should be evolving along with the listener, including style in speach and appearance…….
Seeking guidence and resources from others is also natural. It is Human Nature. It’s up to each individual to decide what is proper for them…………………
I may not have high regard for Christian leaders on television, with the different VOICES that they put on, however, that is not going to make me go around in a crusade or WITCH HUNT to get the followers to turn their backs on something they believe in. It is their own choice. There is nothing hidden here. Open your eyes and take responsibility for yourself and quit blaming the world for your woes…and get on with your life…………
There will always be something perceived as ‘wrong’ with anything that is great. Someone will always find fault if they were not able to get grounded or find peace with life. They tend to find fault anywhere but within themself………..
There are lots of things in this world that are horrible and terrible. Find something worth fighting against to put all this energy into.
August 19th, 2008 15:22
I think Abe’s message is the among the most liberating ones that I have found in this life. I know od no Abe robots or people who huddle together only with other “Abers” I have been listening to Abe for about 12 years and I have changed my life a lot. I do think the LOA is like gravity. But like gravity many people do not consciously think about it or consciously learn to use it to expand their experience in delightful ways.
September 9th, 2008 23:47
I began reading these comments because I happened to see the Secret then began to speed read through the comments here and realized that it has been about one year between the 1st comment and the last comment which tells me a lot about the Hicks.
I didn’t even know who Esther was until I saw the Secret but I would consider her an integral part of the film/documentary.
Esther & Jerry entered into a contract with a producer to make a film that would allow Rhonda to market the movie in the manner “she” thought best. Rhonda had a great “product” and appears to have had the best of both worlds - she was promoting “subject” she may possibly have believed was true, and, it was a good product i.e. she was making money - good for her. Rhonda began to sell a lot of copies and then ran into a situation that affected the sale of the product. She made a simple request to Esther & Jerry and they had choices. Esther & Jerry made a simple choice - the path they took was not to sign over their IP - fair enough it was a choice. I’m sure it was a choice Rhonda wasn’t pleased with based upon the comments posted here over a whole year. When a Producer is about to lose a market i.e. the money, they sometimes try to convince their client to change their mind and sometimes that convincing crosses the line with the client. It obviously did with Esther & Jerry hence the “not nice” comment.
The vast majority of people don’t want to give up their IP and in this situation Esther & Jerry merely made their choice. They most likely wanted to preserve their IP and avoid the possibility of their IP misrepresented like most people do in this situation. So regardless if she says makes reference to Abe or herselft in a sentence, it was a contract, and when something like this happens everybody takes a shot at someone. I don’t seen any comments from Rhonda so…who cares?
I still like what I’m hearing from the Hicks and Abe as do countless others. I’m actually going to see her in a few months. As far as the LOA goes- she makes its as obvious as the nose on your face - something her colleagues in the Secret did do deliver quite as well - which is probably the rub that Rhonda realized - the sales figures probably prove it
September 18th, 2008 08:49
The underlying logic to your article is that Esther Hicks isn’t human and doesn’t have feelings because she understands the law of attraction. Using that logic, should she be devoid of all other human emotion as well? I guess she can’t cry at funerals or shed a tear from any mistreatment either. She’s not a super hero. You demand perfection from a human being and that is why your logic falls flat
September 28th, 2008 10:08
Erika made 2 points which I would like to comment on:
1) Erika says: “Who decided that the desire of the Nazi soldiers cancelled out the desires of the Jews who died in the Holocaust? Here we had thousands of soldiers thinking “We want you to die” and we had millions of Jews saying “We don’t want to die”. Whose free will and desires won out???”
As you say, the millions of Jews were thinking “We don’t want to die”, and thereby focused on dying, instead of thinking “We do want to live” (a very different vibration). Note that plenty of others survived.
2) Erika says: “(ie if everyone is vibrationally attracting to themselves what they put out there, then what would be the point of helping anyone else?? If this is what they “deserve” or are creating- why should I interfere with another’s vibration?)- in fact, I can remember one of Abe’s teachings once that stressed we cannot interfere with another’s vibrational alignment anyways. So, why help anyone ever again?”
As I understand Law of Attraction, what we attract often comes to us through another person. Whenever you find yourself helping another, it means that they have attracted the help, and if you don’t provide it then it will come to them by some other means. If helping them feels good to YOU (which it often does), then that IS the point. If it doesn’t feel good then there is no point. Also, Abraham say that although you cannot create in another’s experience, you can still influence another to change their point of attraction, if they allow it.