Creating Quantum Change
by Natalie Reid, Ph.D. • Northern California

It’s probably been a year or more since you first heard of The Secret—the runaway best-selling program that explains how to use the law of attraction to create the life you want.

If you’ve seen the movie or read the book, you’re probably still vividly inspired by the people who shared their stories of how they magnetized large sums of money, physical healing and other wonderful miracles by focusing on what they want in their lives and thinking positive thoughts. Yet if you’ve tried applying the principles in your own life, they may not have worked out quite as neatly – or consistently – as they did for those featured in the program. “Am I not concentrating hard enough?” You may have thought. “Am I doing it wrong?” More likely than not, the answer to both questions is no. It’s not that the principles of The Secret don’t work. They do. In fact, they are actually supported by our understanding of quantum physics—the miniature world of subatomic particles that make up the essence of the physical universe.

Scientists have proven that we cannot observe the quantum world without disturbing it. For instance, if you do an experiment involving the quantum and don’t watch the process, you get one result. If you do watch the process, you get a completely different one. In other words, subatomic particles actually respond to the people watching them. That means that wherever you put your attention, you create change at the subatomic level, the very foundation of the world. According to the quantum—and The Secret—it’s up to you to select what you observe and where you place your attention. Once you make that choice, the very act of your observation changes what happens in your physical reality.

So why haven’t you yet manifested the life you want? Why aren’t you perfectly healthy, financially free and blissfully in love with your ideal partner? I believe the biggest reason is because of beliefs you hold in your subconscious mind. The truth is, whatever exists in our subconscious will play out in the physical circumstances of our lives. The Secret acknowledges this fact and recommends mastering our thoughts and feelings by keeping them focused on what we want.

This is excellent advice, although accomplishing that kind of control can be a bit trickier than it sounds. How do you prevent negative thoughts and fears from coming to mind, especially if you already have a propensity to see the world a certain way, conditioned by years of perception and experience? And how do you stop new messages of negativity from entering your subconscious every minute of every day? If you read the words “don’t think about a black cat,” you can’t help but think of the very thing you’re trying to avoid. One way to deal with old thought patterns and unwanted new ones is to directly talk to your subconscious mind. We can actually order our subconscious mind not to take in a particular thought by saying a command like: “Cancel, cancel.” The subconscious is like a compulsively obedient child that does exactly what it is told.

But what happens when things go wrong? For instance, say you are deep in debt, trying to manifest abundance and prosperity in your life. You faithfully apply the principles of The Secret to create wealth and tell yourself everything is going fine, but then you get a $100 speeding ticket on the way home from work and when you arrive home, you realize you’ve also lost your Visa card. How do you keep your thinking from spiraling back into negative patterns?

When things go wrong then, it is important to honestly experience your true feelings. The key is not to dwell on them, augment them, or berate yourself for having them in the first place. It’s also important to be responsible for what happened without judging yourself. Stay objective. You can’t know everything and can’t always see the bigger picture. Maybe you attracted that speeding ticket so you would slow down in your life right now. That missing VISA card might force you to take a closer look at your spending habits.

Here is a vital point: Do not try to convince yourself that everything is positive if it’s not. The subconscious mind is extremely literal, so giving it a conflicting piece of information is actually counterproductive. An affirmation like, “I am healthy and strong,” when you are weak and riddled with disease will instruct your subconscious mind that this malady is what you call health! Saying, “I have all the money I need” when you are in debt will confuse the subconscious and result in more bills! Instead, always use terminology such as “I am getting healthier and stronger” and “I am receiving more and more money.” Those words inform the subconscious that you want to continue improving your health and increasing your wealth.

It’s also good to remember that the subconscious does not have a sense of humor. So when you are sarcastic, “Oh, great. Just what I wanted: a *!%&# traffic ticket,” the subconscious mind says, “Okay, we need more of these,” because it does not recognize sarcasm, charming though it is to use.

Along with the beautiful insight that comes with using The Secret—that we are not just victims in a world of chance, but that our lives are a direct consequence of our attention, desires and focus—comes the need to take responsibility for our thoughts, whether conscious or subconscious. Once we begin to clean out and reprogram ourselves at the subconscious level, the better The Secret and its wonderful techniques will work.

Natalie Reid, Ph.D. is a life coach in private practice helping people make permanent changes and realize their dreams. In her new book, 5 Steps to a Quantum Life, Reid combines her 30 years exploration of psychology, meditation and the mind-body connection with her study of quantum physics. Visit “5 Steps to a Quantum Life,” www.wingedhorsepublishing.com.