Dabbling in "creative visualization" and the "secret"

I have always been a devout believer in the One True God of Abraham but I have sinned against Him.

I want to share a strange experience.

A few years ago when I was going through a difficult time in life I was watching some motivational videos on YouTube. All I wanted to achieve was overcome a difficulty.

In doing so I stumbled upon videos of a technique called "creative visualization", according to which I could attract into my life whatever my heart desires just by thinking about it and having "positive energy'.

All I had to do was spend 10 minutes every morning. I would perform breathing exercises, calm down and think happy thoughts. I would then visualize myself possessing what I wanted and "feel" the joy of having it as if it were already mine. I was just following instructions in a video that I had bookmarked.

Only 2 weeks in, and I actually "attracted" what I wanted into my life. I couldn't believe it was that easy! I was ecstatic.

Subconsciously I felt dirty about the whole thing. Because I believe God governs the universe. Everything is predestined and humans cannot affect the outcomes of any affair in this world. I still carried on with it because I kept telling myself that this practice does not contradict my faith.

But then things changed.

Only a 4 months later I lost everything I got from that technique. Even worse , that which I attracted to myself turned out to be a source of great misery and emotional pain, causing me to fall into deep depression. I was almost suicidal.

Only then, in my darkest hour did I realize God had afflicted me with punishment because i was relying on new age techniques like "creative visualization", and not God the Creator of everything.

It also dawned upon me that the good things i attracted to myself were either

A. A test from God

Or

B. A deception of demons to mislead me


To this day, I regret my actions and I am ashamed of myself before God. I will never do such a thing again because I realize how close I was to destroying my life and soul

I learned a valuable lesson: rely on God and God alone.

You prayed and God answered what's the issue?

a reply to: firefromabove

What if you thinking you had sinned against God was what actually caused your downfall?

Maybe you broke the law of attraction, not some imaginary law of God. I'm not saying God doesn't exist, but the amount of garbage that religious people attribute to God (whatever your version may be) is almost as infinite as the God they claim to worship.

a reply to: Sillyolme

I didn't "pray"

I was attempting to manipulate the universe with my thoughts to get what I wanted. I was trying to bypass the Creator of the universe. He had His will for me and whatever I got from that technique was taken from me.

As a bonus I was afflicted with more misery than I originally started with.

Praise God, who humbles people who who get out of line and think they can take what they want from His world. If anything, this has only strengthened my faith.

a reply to: zardust

What if you thinking you had sinned against God was what actually caused your downfall?

I thought about my sin after my downfall began

When the cracks first started to appear I "upped" the dosage of attraction techniques. But it stopped working.

be careful what you wish for

To the OP.

I am of the opinion that we have freewill but whatever actions we take...from the micro to the macro...the 'Butterfly Effect' is inevitable and causes ripples way beyond or recognition and circle of personal life. When my daughter was a young girl, I would help her to train for netball and rounders. I would throw the ball as high as I possibly could and would tell her visualize herself catching the ball. This technique worked a treat, she went on to become a school team member and then went on to win trophies and medals.

Creative, positive thinking can be beneficial and there is no sin in wanting to better yourself or your life. I use the technoique myself, although not as strictly as you did, every morning. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I do not believe in the One True God of Abraham being the creator of everything. Unfortunately, I read the Old Testament in a different way than you probably did and I find YHWH to be a terrible God and not the one who created mankind in the first Genesis creation. To me, he duped people into following him for his own purposes, after his Garden of Eden experiment failed and he had to revert to 'Plan B'.

No disrespect to you or your beliefs in any way, though.

A priest is walking on a cliff edge.. he slips and falls. Clinging on with his fingertips, he prays to god to save him.
Moments later a Muslim walks past and offers to help, the priest says "no.. my god will save me" and continues to pray.
Shortly afterwards a prostitute comes past and offers to help. "No my god will save me"
Then a known criminal passes and offers to help. "No.. my god will save me"
Then he slips and falls to his death. When he gets to heaven he asks god "why didn't you help me"
"I tried replied god, I sent three different people"

My point is whatever you believe, if you pray and ask for something and recieve it, accept with open arms without putting negative thoughts to it.. Because by doing so will bring you bad luck.
Positive thinking and visualisation is not work of the devil.. In fact the quite opposite.

a reply to: firefromabove

Why don't you just get a life and take responsibility for it?

originally posted by: firefromabove


Subconsciously I felt dirty about the whole thing. Because I believe God governs the universe. Everything is predestined and humans cannot affect the outcomes of any affair in this world. I still carried on with it because I kept telling myself that this practice does not contradict my faith..

That's your problem. Instead of feeling grateful and thank God you cursed yourself. What do you think where it was coming from?
If you prefer suffering, god let's you.

originally posted by: firefromabove
a reply to: Sillyolme

I didn't "pray"

I was attempting to manipulate the universe with my thoughts to get what I wanted. I was trying to bypass the Creator of the universe. He had His will for me and whatever I got from that technique was taken from me.

As a bonus I was afflicted with more misery than I originally started with.

Praise God, who humbles people who who get out of line and think they can take what they want from His world. If anything, this has only strengthened my faith.

But that's the power of the universe. There's no difference. A creative force lives in you. You are part of the universe and you share the same power as the creator.
You asked. You received.
But if your going to beat yourself up over it than its not your bag.
Just ask for forgiveness and move on . Don't fret.

a reply to: firefromabove

I think some people can't get themselves to church where they really believe they should be on a Sunday and then make up a satisfying rationale why they are still OK with their god. That's what I think.

I use the law of attraction all the time. If you feel you will be punished for it that's the reality you're creating.
I don't and I don't get punished for it.
I say thank you.
But obviously it's not for you.

a reply to: firefromabove

But God made the universe. God made the law of attraction.
Man said don't use it.
Man said you should suffer and live in want.
God said be abundant.
God said I love you. I will give you this power to create so that you can reflect my awesome power.
So don't fret. God still had his hand in it. You created what you wanted with the power inherent in the universe.
It was you who then made it dirty and that's why it went bad. You thought you'd done something bad.
You rejected what you were given.
There is nothing in your physical makeup that is not also in the stars.
You and the universe are made of the same stuff.

a reply to: firefromabove

The creator of the universe created you too.

a reply to: firefromabove

It works with your belief. You were already showing doubt when you tried to "up" it.
When you order dinner at a restaurant do you keep calling the waiter over and reorder your food if it doesn't come right away? No . You have faith that the food you ordered once is surely coming. And then it does.

a reply to: midicon

Why didnt you just pass on this thread?
You contributed nothing.

a reply to: Misterlondon this joke would have been funny if true, but any priest would have accepted the help from any of the people.

God calls us to serve. With that said, I would one day like to own a hot tub.

i do not think this stuff works, if it came into your life i bet it would have still came into your life at that time even if you had not tried these techniques, when thing got bad, that would have probably still happened as well. these practives dont bring things into your life IMO. it may motivate you more to go get them or to try to get those thing into your life but thinking about something does not bring it into your life.

second i do not think god does anything these days, he just sets back and watches, i dont think he punishes people or saves hem or heals them.. at one time he interacted with people and did all kinds of things according to the bible.. well not any more he just lets what ever is going to happen happen. if your a good person than maybe you get to go to heaven or some place good but while you are alive and on earth i do not think he currently interacts people. .


this is my theory on both of these subjects.. i do not think trying to visulize your self having or doing something is going to make god punish you.. its not like you were worshiping anohter god. you were just using wishful thinking and hoping it would bring something into your life. lots of people do this and nothing bad happens to allot of them.