posted July 05, 2010 09:29 PM         

My mom had the book, you know, the one with the big rainbow heart on it, and later i read it again while living with my aunt who had a copy too. They were hooked and I was for a bit as well.

When I was in my early twenties certain things started to bother me about it especially when i looked at people's illnesses and observed things in their life and the simple conclusions just didnt fit quite so easily if i knew enough about them and was honest with myself too.

At this stage in the game I have a very hard time with jumping to the kindergarden conclusions that that book helps you get to. Like, ohhhh....you broke your leg or oh you have deep vein thrombrosis? ....well, that means there is something in your life that you just cannot stand. Heal that and your leg will heal itself too. Simple as pie!

Ooooo, you slammed your finger in the car door and now it's broken??...ooohhhhh....then that must mean there is something in your life that you have a hard time grasping. Seeeeee? Broken finger - cant grasp things anymore.

Oohhh you got a splinter? Clearly something else is getting under your skin on a deeper level. What is it? What's wrong with you? Figure it out and the splinter may pop itself out.

Sh!t like that.

This whole line of thinking bugs me. I think it's childish and nearsighted. Could it be that there is much more to people's overall pictures and little or big things that go on with them cant be isolated and figured out so easily? I think it's insulting to think that youve got someone figured out because you can put two simple things together. Are things not usually more complex than that? And who are we to judge that we know what's really going on with someone, or why the have the disesase or illness they do just because we read a book by Louise?

posted July 05, 2010 09:48 PM         

No.

posted July 05, 2010 09:59 PM         

Not that they didnt have their place or werent helpful at a certain time in the grand scheme, but they may no longer be able to hold themselves very true anymore.

posted July 05, 2010 11:34 PM         

and it's true of any teaching, once it's set out in writing it becomes partly dead, or at least inflexible. true of any writing really, except for the factor of selective attention...one person will see one part, another another, as linda explained the effect she hoped goooberz would have on people; this is true of most books, incidents, movies, etc. i remember giving up reading record reviews years ago because i bought a record on the strength of one and whatever THAT guy saw wasn't there for me AT ALL...

and books like louise's lead to spiritual narrowmindedness in some people. but there were a few things in there that applied to me and SOME of the affirmations she suggested work like charms for me even now. did i heal any major illnesses? maybe, but since i refused the drawnout probes the hospital would have put me through i don't know for sure!!

and so many "spiritual manuals" like hay's are really more like infomercials for the real meat of the author's work...workshops. which also bug me. though i understand working through layers, starting with the superficial, so many people sell their workshops as THE way to find ...whatever. if you don't find it there they have another workshop waiting in the wings to take more of your money and time and effort, and another and another.

which is all very well for people with a lot of disposable income but...

posted July 06, 2010 01:21 AM         

I mean, come on, we're human beings, we catch colds because we are in close proximity to other people with colds.

We get diarhea (I am spelling that wrong, I know) from bacteria or eating bad food.
Sometimes, it just IS what it IS.

Boooo Louise.

*I was "gifted" with that book, Heal Your Body when I first came down with the syptoms that eventually became Lupus.
I felt very insulted.
It's like victim blaming, and I can't stand that.

posted July 06, 2010 01:41 AM         

Yes, you get colds by being around people who have them, but for me, I have to be run down to begin with otherwise I can be surrounded by people with colds and not come down with anything. That to me simply screams get more sleep than anything else. And, keep your body at a warm and comfortable temperature. I don't like it when blame or judgement is attributed, but I find this information useful. It's only people who attribute blame to the interpretations that bring that sense of judgemental and fatality to it. I really believe her information is channelled.

I do think we manifest certain things in ourselves through anger, etc. And yes, I have often queried the validity of bumping my finger, etc. I'm not sure about the concept that the gods inflict disease upon us. Maybe. I don't know. It brings up the question as to why people are born with particular conditions or afflictions. I don't have answers. I only know what works or resonates for me.

She says that her methods cured her of cancer. It obviously works for her. I suppose it's all about physical, mental and spiritual balance. And different things work for different people. I think what you believe contributes a great deal to what works for you.

posted July 06, 2010 02:24 AM         

And the whole "mirror thing" has lost all meaning because it is owned by the ego of many. Anyone who can understand the deeper meaning will observe & reflect upon it ... not use it to get under someones skin and appear like they have you figured out.

New Age gripes? Many!
But...I think it's quite cute that people can read a book and be all enthusiastic that they now have things figured out, there is something special about it, in their immaturity is true wisdom in bloom. The path of excess (including thought) leads to the tower of Wisdom. It's beautiful.

posted July 06, 2010 02:31 AM         

LOL. I went way off there. I guess it just comes back to the seeing everyone as a child of God. Like I've said before, the only thing which separates us is that which we choose.

posted July 06, 2010 02:37 AM         

I get what you mean about the cute. But I don't like having other people's fervour shoved down my throat. It's beautiful when people have passion, but compassion as to other ways is important to me too and acceptance that different things are for different people with equal right.

posted July 06, 2010 04:33 AM         

Reminds me of the crazy christian lady on wifeswap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOpva_iit-8

posted July 06, 2010 09:43 AM         

On another note, yes, there is a mind body connection but that is not the causes of such things. That can cure or lesson or make coping easier, or make things already in existence worse. So yeah, "attitude/outlook"
ie; the mb connection is real but does not cause the problems.

posted July 06, 2010 10:25 AM         

and hay says colds are a result of too much disorder in one's life, ie not finding time to sleep, having too much frenetics in your life, will bring you down. don't see anything outlandish in that and it has been my experience too. i raraely catch "what's going around" but if i'm in a tailspin in general, i get sick.

posted July 06, 2010 04:40 PM         

quote:

---

My new age gripe is something that kat touched upon. The cost of natural or "alternative" services and products. It's ridiculous. You want to live as natural and simplified lifestyle as possible but you effectively have to be a frickin' millionaire to do it.
EDIT: I think this is what feeds the skeptics too. It makes them think that "new age" people are out to fleece them. It doesn't help the cause.

---

I've only read to this point, and want to respond to other things, but the above gets me, too. The cost of a lot of supplements and the cost of medications/procedures that are prescribed by allopaths.

And don't get me started on the most popular Hay House authors holding courses/seminars on cruises or in expensive places... and people like Doreen Virtue holding courses to be able to do what she does, that cost thousands of dollars, in addition to the air fare, and the cost of food and hotel fees.. one thing I liked about Wayne Dyer, was that he held one for free somewhere - I can't remember the circumstances, but I think he did. I like some of the authors, but it seems as though there's always something being pushed.