Law of Attraction as Viewed Thru the Law of One

[pluralone]

The problem I have with that is that followers of those philosophies are often told "Well you must not be praying hard enough if you haven't gotten an answer to your prayers yet" with the 'New Age' version of it being something like "Well you must not be visualizing hard enough" both of which can trigger unnecessary guilt.

I most definitely do believe that the LoA has some valid principles. I certainly do believe in having a positive attitude and getting clear on our goals, as well as honing our desires. But I also think the idea can be taken too far, to the point of it becoming a controlling thing, instead of a flowing/harmonizing thing.

I agree. I've seen so many healers take the concept of the LoA and turn it against others. Rather than continue their healing work, suddenly these people are focused more on asking their clients, "Why are you manifesting this in your life?" I believe there is more to ill health (and difficult circumstances in general) than this. Certainly there is an element (sometimes large) of having allowed or even drawn such things into one's life, but as a healer, I find it useless to approach my work from that perspective. One can be fully aware of why and how a circumstance developed, and also be fully aware of what the end result will be when the issue is resolved, but there is also the process in between that must be lived, and sometimes people need help and/or support for that process.

Monica, isn't pre life programming a kind of breaking of free will? If you were planning on something before life, but chicken out before your feet hit the water and not be able to get out of it. Then do you have free will? Or has free will become subject to some other entity, like some evil god of past self?

I've been thinking along the same lines though. I thought if your body is part of who you are. Then when a immunological weakness attracts disease. Basically you'd be the cause of your own mysery..

But in that situation too. It's not as if you have free will in the matter. Your power was given not to the god of "past self" but to the god of "physical self"..

Both philosophies work. But where did free will go?

My response is not based on the LOO materials, so I'm not sure it's precisely appropriate for me to state it here. If I'm overstepping, please let me know and I won't do it again. That said, when I chose a purpose for this life before I came here, that was an act of free will. The result is that I am living according to that choice, whether I as a human like and agree with that purpose or not. As there is no real separation from who I am as a human and who I am beyond my human self, if I as a human feel a conflict within my life, the conflict itself is still a function of free will. The conflict is merely a perception. (For me.)

I get exactly what I decide I want, but a whole lot more along with it that I may not have considered.

Thank you. That says so much... more... than what I think you intended to say. This is a glimpse of my own processes: Shortly after my spiritual awareness began to awaken, I found myself on a healing path. Knowing my self, one of the first things I 'asked for' was to remain humble; I could see that folks farther along their healing paths often (not saying always) have gotten there either through a greater innate strength or in some way less of a struggle than others, and because of this, some (emphasis that this doesn't apply to all) have little or no respect or regard for those who struggle more through their processes. I could see that I might very easily fall into that mind-set myself. The result of asking to be 'kept humble' has, in part, been that I continue to struggle through the healing process. It keeps me aware of what others are going through, and has taught me a depth of compassion I did not have previously. I've obviously (to me) not learned all I can from this process. So here I know, in part, where the struggle originates, and I know what it will look like when I've completed this particular process... but I'm still in the process. Is it 'bad' that I've attracted this? Uncomfortable, yes. Difficult, yes. Worth discussing, yes. Bad, no.

And what I'm talking about here is not an entirely intellectual process -- just wanted to put that in here, because so often such things are broken into these separations during discussion. If it's done on a wholly intellectual level, it's not being experienced; if it's experienced on a wholly energetic level, it lacks the balance of the fact that these processes are parts of human life -- and therefore involve the intellect. It's a function of both (intellect and direct experience), and for me these have equal value.

What is the difference between expectation and intent anyway?

My view: Expectation is both independent of and integral with intent, and there are other aspects involved in this equation. I've experienced what one might say are 'successful' results from doing things I expected would not work, having done such things to humor someone who wanted me to try them. My intent, in those instances, was not to manifest anything but a show of respect for the other individual, and yet I received benefit from the act anyway. Go figure, huh? An analogy: Someone has chronic pain in one knee, and a friend offers some salve that, the friend says, may help relieve some of the pain. The person with the bum knee uses the salve, not with any expectation for relief but simply because it seems like a better idea than to refuse the offer. Surprise, there is relief. Given the concept of 'as above, so below', similar (as well as opposite) processes can occur on any level, physical or energetic or both. Again, that's - in part - how I see it.

3D Sunset: Wonderful analogy! I agree: "quite complicated interactions can quickly occur."

Monica: 'We have free will within parameters' -- exactly so. Well said. As for the irrelevance of pre-programming, I don't think relevance (or lack thereof) can apply to everyone the same way. I personally am aware, at least in part, of my purpose in coming here. I choose what to do - or not do - with that awareness, but being aware of it does make it much more relevant for me than it would be for someone who was not aware. As you said, if life is school, there are different levels and directions of education. Some folks get quite a way into college without ever stating a major... some folks don't even graduate high school....
plur