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Law of Attraction History: Who Invented the Law of Attraction?

Most people know the Law of Attraction, or the whole concept of manifesting, from the book or movie “The Secret” and therefore many believe that the LoA is a modern creation. But that’s not true. For this reason I wanted to clear up this misunderstanding, with this insight into the history of the law of attraction, answering you; where is the law of attraction coming from.

So, where is the Law of Attraction Coming from? The Law of Attraction is over a hundred years old.  And not a modern creation at all.  It was first mentioned in William Walker Atkinson’s 1906 published book: “Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World.”

Learn in this little law of attraction history lesson that the concepts of this law as well as “orders from the universe” or manifestation are not new things and actually much older than “The Secret.” But let’s start right at the beginning.

Btw. – the Law of Attraction is one of the 12 universal laws you should know about when you want to manifest your dreams.  Here you find the overview of all 12 universal laws.

How Old is the Law of Attraction Really

With the Law of Attraction,  it is the same as with every other big discovery. It has been around forever, but it needed some time to be established and even to become mainstream.

We are in a time where the concept of “you create your own reality” is just before its absolute breakthrough. In a few years from now, it will be part of all of our lives, and it will sound weird that there was a time when we didn’t know (much) about it.

The Law of Attraction will probably have the same standing as the law of gravity or the fact that the world is round.

But for now, let’s have a look at when the world actually started to recognize this wonderful concept.

The LOA is not new to you, but do you struggle with the fact that this whole manifestation thing is not working for you? Then read this post here, How the Law of Attraction Finally Works for You!

1906 – the Beginning of the Law of Attraction(as We Know It Today)

The term Law of Attraction first originated in 1906 when author and publisher William Walker Atkinson released his new thought movement book: “Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World.

He was brave enough to use the term “vibration” (a very scary word for any other author to use or understand back then). His work introduced the concepts of thought, energy, vibration, and manifestation in a comprehensive and detailed manner.

He also was the first to explain the importance and power of Love to manifest desires (sometimes in a rather humorous manner: “…so love but one thing at a time – don’t be a mental Mormon”).

1910 – the First Steps of a New Concept

In 1910 Wallace Delois Wattles published his famous book “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Wallace D. Wattles explained the creative role of thought in the manifestation process and further elaborated on the universal role of energy as “stuff from which all things are made.”

Wallace D. Wattles was the first to dedicate a sole chapter to the concept of Gratitude as a tool to support the practitioner’s manifestation work. As he explained: ” the riches they receive will be in exact proportion to the definiteness of their vision, the fixity of their purpose, the steadiness of their faith, and the depth of their gratitude.

1928 – an Idea is Spreading

In 1928 Napoleon Hill published his work “The Law of Success in 16 Lessons,” which used the term “Law of Attraction” very frequently.

The most famous work of Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich,” was first published in 1937 and later became one of the world’s best-selling books.

His work, “Think and Grow Rich,” was surrounded by some mysteries, such as the promise of Napoleon Hill to disclose “the real secret” to success which never was actually disclosed, leading to miscellaneous speculations.

1986 – the Masses Accept an Idea

One of the most significant sources of inspirational and informative materials on the subject of the Law of Attraction is the work of Jerry and Esther Hicks.

In 1986 Esther Hicks began channeling the messages from the group of non-physical beings that were given the name “Abraham.”

While this experience was initially very shocking for Esther – the process attracted lots of interest from her husband Jerry, and soon, with Jerry’s support, Esther and Jerry began giving channeling workshops to ever-growing groups of people.

These works are summarized as “The Teachings of Abraham,” and up until the present day, even after Jerry Hicks passed away in 2011, Esther continues to give workshops and seminars where she channels Abraham’s answers to any questions people are asking.

Another exciting development on this subject was the channeled message from Abraham, where the non-physical presence of Napoleon Hill disclosed that the word “vibration” had to be taken from earlier publications of his book due to the publisher’s fear that such a term won’t be accepted, would prevent sales and was outright scary for most readers at the time.

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2006 – The Breakthrough to the Mainstream With “The Secret”

Even though the work of Esther and Jerry Hicks was very popular, there was still some skepticism. Especially the fact that Esther spoke through a group of non-physical beings made it difficult to make the commercial breakthrough.

Even if Esther and Jerry Hicks’s work is a little too difficult for you to grasp and you have difficulty with the fact that non-physical “beings” speak through them, I think their books are outstanding. If you really want to learn how to use the LoA in everyday life, I would read their books.

I actually don’t buy into the esoteric new age stuff; that’s just not me. I’m very facts oriented. But I have read most of the books Esther and Jerry Hicks wrote and had to say they are great material.

Fast forward to 2006, when the movie The Secret was taking over the world by storm and propelling The Law of Attraction to become a household discussion subject for tens of millions of people worldwide.

Rhonda Byrne shared the fact that “The Science of Getting Rich” book by Wallace Wattles served as her inspiration for the film. The movie was sequenced as a series of interviews given by well-known authors, inspirational speakers, teachers, and “visionaries.”

The messages delivered by “The Secret” are loud and clear:

  • Thoughts create things.
  • Positive emotional attitudes are helpful and necessary to manifest desires.
  • Believe in achieving, and you will achieve. 

Although I believe that the movie “The Secret” teaches you many important points, I have learned a lot over the years when it comes to the Law of Attraction.

I believe that the basic idea of the Secret book is very good, but that some important components are missing.

In this article, How the Law of Attraction Finally Works (No Bs Guide to the Secret), I will deal with these points and show you how to use the Law of Attraction in practice to finally be successful.

2018 – Selfmadeladies.com and My Bestselling Manifesting Book “Become the CEO of Your Dream Life” Was Born

In 2018, after almost a decade of practical experience with the Law of Attraction, as a manifestation coach and in practical application in my own life, I decided to take my coaching business online.

Soon after, I created this blog here, inspiring thousands of daily readers. The SelfMadeLadies community was born.

I quickly made myself a name in the manifesting community because my LoA teachings are very hands-on, and I give only practical tips that lead to real results.

What my readers love…

My manifestation tips work so well because I not only work with the law of attraction but also show you how to use the other universal laws to manifest your dreams.

And you can get all this in my manifestation book.

Thanks to years of experience as an NLP coach and a technique inspired by Walt Disney, I created my own advanced manifesting technique. And this made “Become the CEO of Your Dream Life” the bestseller it is today.

And I am so proud and happy that I would like to give you the first chapter for free. 

signature saying xo mia fox
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