The paradox of hedonism, also called the pleasure paradox, refers to the practical difficulties encountered in the pursuit of pleasure. For the hedonist, constant pleasure-seeking may not yield the most actual pleasure or happiness in the long run—or even in the short run, when consciously pursuing pleasure interferes with experiencing it.
Esther Hicks is an American inspirational speaker, channeler, and author. She has co-written nine books with her late husband Jerry Hicks, presented numerous workshops on the law of attraction with Abraham-Hicks Publications and appeared in the original version of the 2006 film The Secret. The Hicks' books, including the series The Law of Attraction, are – according to Esther Hicks – "translated from a group of non-physical entities called Abraham". Hicks describes what she is doing as tapping into "infinite intelligence".
Uell Stanley Andersen was an American football player and self-help and short story author during the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for his book, Three Magic Words.
The Secret is a 2006 Australian-American pseudoscientific documentary film consisting of a series of interviews designed to demonstrate the New Thought claim 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.
In the New Thought spiritual movement, the Law of Attraction is a pseudoscience based on the belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person's life. The belief is based on the ideas that people and their thoughts are made from "pure energy" and that a process of like energy attracting like energy exists through which a person can improve their health, wealth, and personal relationships. There is no empirical scientific evidence supporting the law of attraction, and it is widely considered to be pseudoscience.
Wallace Delois Wattles was an American New Thought writer. He remains personally somewhat obscure, but his writing has been widely quoted and remains in print in the New Thought and self-help movements.
The Science of Getting Rich is a book written by the New Thought Movement writer Wallace D. Wattles and published in 1910 by the Elizabeth Towne Company. The book is still in print. According to USA Today, the text is "divided into 17 short, straight-to-the-point chapters that explain how to overcome mental barriers, and how creation, rather than competition, is the hidden key to wealth attraction."
Robert Collier was an American author of self-help and New Thought metaphysical books in the 20th century. He was the nephew of Peter Fenelon Collier, founder of Collier's Weekly. He was involved in writing, editing, and research for most of his life. His book The Secret of the Ages (1926) sold over 300,000 copies during his life. Collier wrote about the practical psychology of abundance, desire, faith, visualization, confident action, and personal development.
Rhonda Byrne is an Australian television writer and producer. Her New Thought book The Secret is based on the law of attraction. She wrote several sequels to the book, including The Power, The Magic and Hero, as well as other books that relate to The Secret.
"Fake it till you make it" is an English aphorism which suggests that by imitating confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset, a person can realize those qualities in their real life and achieve the results they seek.
Affirmations in New Thought and New Age terminology refer primarily to the practice of positive thinking and self-empowerment—fostering a belief that "a positive mental attitude supported by affirmations will achieve success in anything." More specifically, an affirmation is a carefully formatted statement that should be repeated to one's self and written down frequently. For affirmations to be effective, it is said that they need to be present tense, positive, personal and specific.
The Secret is a 2006 self-help book by Rhonda Byrne, based on the earlier film of the same name. It is based on the belief of the pseudoscientific law of attraction, which claims that thoughts can change a person's life directly. The book alleges energy as assurance of its effectiveness. The book has sold 30 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 50 languages. Scientific claims made in the book have been rejected by a range of critics, pointing out that the book has no scientific foundation.
The Master Key System is a personal development book by Charles F. Haanel (1866–1949) that was originally published as a 24-week correspondence course in 1912, and then in book form in 1916. The ideas it describes and explains come mostly from New Thought philosophy. It was one of the main sources of inspiration for Rhonda Byrne's film and book The Secret (2006).
The Magic is a 2012 self-help and spirituality book written by Rhonda Byrne. It is the third book in The Secret series. The book was released on March 6, 2012, as a paperback and e-book. The book is available in 41 languages.
Mike Dooley is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and entrepreneur in the philosophical New Thought movement. His teachings contain the premise that our "thoughts become things," an expression he made popular in Rhonda Byrne's book and video documentary on the Law of Attraction, The Secret.
Creative visualization is a term used by New Age, popular psychology, and self-help authors and teachers in two contexts.
The Secret: Dare to Dream is a 2020 American drama film based on the 2006 self-help book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Directed by Andy Tennant, from a screenplay he wrote with Bekah Brunstetter and Rick Parks, it stars Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, Jerry O'Connell, and Celia Weston.
Bob Proctor was a Canadian self-help author and lecturer. He was best known for his New York Times best-selling book You Were Born Rich (1984) and being a contributor to the film The Secret (2006). Proctor's teachings maintained the idea that a positive self-image is critical for obtaining success, frequently referencing the pseudoscientific belief of the Law of Attraction.
Manifestation refers to various pseudoscientific self-help strategies intended to bring about a personal goal, primarily by focusing one's thoughts upon the desired outcome. The techniques are based on the law of attraction of New Thought spirituality. While the process involves positive thinking, or even directing requests to "the universe", it also involves action-steps on the part of the individual.
