Mainstream Success of "The Secret”
Can This New Spin on New Age Go Mainstream?
New Age messages are becoming more common in mainstream media. Is "The Secret" really sharing anything new, or just trying to repackage for mainstream success?
In recent weeks it has been difficult not to take notice of “The Secret,” a movie-length film that claims to hold the key to “unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth,” according to the official website.
This is an impressive claim. One set of principles, passed down through history, that can get you all you dream of. Off-hand, it is easy to dismiss “The Secret” and its producer, Rhonda Byrne. Appearances on Oprah, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Larry King Live, however, have highlighted the popularity of the book and movie.
Byrne claims her inspiration for “The Secret” stems from her own emotional break-down and the philosophy put forth in Wallace Wattles’ 1910 book “The Science of Getting Rich.” The basic idea of this philosophy, as put forth by the producers, is that we are what we think. Both negative and positive energies sent out into the universe attract the same back onto the individual. By thinking, feeling, and acting on positive energy, someone can turn their life around and realize their deepest aspirations.
These ideas are nothing new. The use of positive thought to tap into personal potential and achieve spiritual growth are familiar themes. The idea that every interaction and occurrence has a purpose and a lesson is one present at the core of the New Age movement.
“The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield is one example of the New Age message told loud and clear in popular culture. In this fictional novel, the author outlines New Age principles and details the coming global enlightenment. While this book has many of the same ideas as “The Secret,” its appeal was short-lived and the movie that was released in 2006 was barely a blip on the radar, with only limited release in the United States.
“The Secret” was not even released in theatres or on television, though the website touts the internet distribution of the film as a ‘global launch‘ and a ‘world first,’ in keeping with the practice of repackaging the old and calling it something new. The mainstream seems willing to consume New Age messages, but in small quantities. It will be interesting to see how “The Secret” progresses toward the producers’ goal of bringing their message to the world. Positive thinking breeds positive results.
Or maybe this film will go the way of previous attempts at repackaging the New Age theme - confined to a specialty section in the bookstore and with a small but enthusiastic cult following.
