The Secret (2006 film)
The Secret is a 2006 Australian-American spirituality documentary consisting of a series of interviews designed to demonstrate the New Thought "law of attraction", the belief that everything one wants or needs can be satisfied by believing in an outcome, repeatedly thinking about it, and maintaining positive emotional states to "attract" the desired outcome.
For other uses, see Secret (disambiguation).The film and the subsequent publication of the book of the same name attracted interest from media figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Larry King.
Synopsis[edit]
The Secret, described as a self-help film,[3][4] uses a documentary format to present a concept titled "law of attraction". As described in the film, the "Law of Attraction" hypothesis[5] posits that feelings and thoughts can attract events, feelings, and experiences, from the workings of the cosmos to interactions among individuals in their physical, emotional, and professional affairs. The film also suggests that there has been a strong tendency by those in positions of power to keep this central principle hidden from the public.
Foundations in New Thought ideas[edit]
The authors of The Secret cite the New Thought movement which began in the late 18th century as the historical basis for their ideas.[6]
The New Thought book The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles, the source Rhonda Byrne cites as inspiration for the film, was preceded by numerous other New Thought books, including the 1906 book Thought Vibration or the law of attraction in the Thought World by William Walker Atkinson,[7] editor of New Thought magazine. Other New Thought books Byrne is purported to have read include self-help authors like Prentice Mulford's 19th-century Thoughts Are Things; and Robert Collier's Secret of the Ages from 1926.[8]
Carolyn Sackariason of the Aspen Times, when commenting about Byrne's intention to share The Secret with the world, identifies the Rosicrucians as keepers of The Secret.[9]
Marketing[edit]
Packaging[edit]
The film has been described as a "slick repackaging" of the Law of Attraction,[21] a concept originating in the New Thought ideas of the late 19th century. In producing the film, the law was intentionally "packaged" with a focus on "wealth enhancement" — differing from the more spiritual orientation of the New Thought Movement.[22] One of the film's backers stated, "we desired to hit the masses, and money is the number one thing on the masses' minds".[23] A review in salon.com described the packaging of the products related to the film as having "a look... that conjures a 'Da Vinci Code' aesthetic, full of pretty faux parchment, quill-and-ink fonts and wax seals.[24]
Choosing to package the film's theme as a "secret" has been called an important component of the film's popularity. Donavin Bennes, a buyer who specializes in metaphysics for Borders Books, stated "We all want to be in on a secret. But to present it as the secret, that was brilliant." [4]
Marketing campaign[edit]
The movie was advertised on the Internet using "tease" advertising and viral marketing; techniques in which the specific details of The Secret were not revealed. Additionally, Prime Time Productions granted written permission to individuals or companies, via application at the official site, to provide free screenings of the film to public audiences. Optionally, the DVD could be sold at these screenings.
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
The Secret has been described as a "self-help phenomenon",[30] a "publishing phenomenon",[22] and a "cultural phenomenon".[3][31]
Several critics wrote about the Secret in relation to self-help in general. Julie Mason, of the Ottawa Citizen, wrote that word of mouth about the film spread through Pilates classes, "get-rich-quick websites" and personal-motivation blogs.[32] Jane Lampman, of the Christian Science Monitor, described The Secret as a brand promoting Secret-related teachers, seminars and retreats.[22] According to Jill Culora, of the New York Post, fans of The Secret have posted on a wide range of blogs and Web forums accounts of how shifting from negative to positive thoughts made big improvements in their lives.[27]
Jerry Adler of Newsweek called it "breathless pizzazz" for a tired self-help genre;[4] "emphatically cinematic" and "driven by images and emotions rather than logic";[33] a blend of Tony Robbins and The Da Vinci Code;[3] and "the Unsolved Mysteries of infomercials".[33]
In 2007, The Secret was reportedly being discussed in "e-mails, in chat rooms, around office cubicles, [and] on blind dates".[27] It is recognized as having a broad and varied impact on culture.[27]
American TV host Oprah Winfrey is a proponent of the film and later the book. On The Larry King Show she said that the message of The Secret is the message she's been trying to share with the world on her show for the past 21 years.[34] Author Rhonda Byrne was later invited to her show along people who vow by The Secret.[35]
Some critics were bothered by the film's focus on questionable wealth enhancement, including promises that the universe will give you material goods "like having the universe as your catalog."[36]
According to a March 2007 issue of Skeptical Inquirer, the central idea of the film "has [no] basis in scientific reality", despite invoking scientific concepts.[37]
Within businesses using the DVD for employee-training and morale-building, author Barbara Ehrenreich called it "a gimmick" and "disturbing", like "being indoctrinated into a cult".[38]
UFC former champion Conor McGregor claims The Secret played a role in his rise to fame. McGregor has said his first reaction on watching the DVD version was: “This is bullshit — but then something clicked for me.” He and girlfriend Dee Devlin, who manages his finances, started focusing on small things they wanted, such as a parking space closest to the doors of a local shopping centre. He said: “We would be driving to the shop and visualising the exact car park space. And then we’d be able to get it every time.”
They then began visualizing wealth, fame and championships.[39]
Parodies[edit]
The concept was parodied on Parks and Recreation, The Chaser's War on Everything, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Simpsons, Boston Legal and Saturday Night Live.[40][41][42]