Gabrielle Oettingen, a Professor of Psychology at NYU, and the author of the book: 'Rethinking Positive Thinking' has serious doubts that they do.
The most recent book which has caused shockwaves is Rhonda Byrne's: ‘The Secret.' Rhonda argues that the universe is made up of energy, and all energy has a frequency, and thoughts do too. As like attracts like, you can attune your thoughts to attract other people/sources which are involved in the same sort of thoughts. This can influence your future, so if you are only worried and thinking about debt, then you will attract other people into the same thing and will remain in that mindset and that reality, but if you psyche yourself into believing that you are rich and successful that is what you will be. Oettingen thinks that this is a nice idea, but really only science fiction, a ‘mood booster.' A lot of research has been done into group thinking, she says, which show that members of a mutually reinforcing group may think differently, but it is the effects of such wishful thinking are more important.
Thinking about the future in positive terms does indeed often lead to the future being positive, Oettingen points out, but people miss out that what is being talked about is expectations about the future, not the future itself. Positive Thinking is often really the development of daydreams and fantasies, which have different effects upon our expectations. But scientists have found that the more positive people's daydreams are about the future, the less effort they actually put into achieving such a future, and therefore the less success they have.
The important issue is: why do positive fantasies actually reduce success? According to the research, Oettingen says, it is because people who are in a fantasy, already feel accomplished in their minds. They have already arrived in their positive future. They relax and don't make the effort which is needed to manifest a certain dream. The conclusion of the program is that we need positive fantasies because they give us direction, but we also need to fuel them with positive efforts, with energy so that we can overcome the inner obstacles which prevent us from achieving them. Books on Positive Thinking need to appraised critically.
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