It is only fair that if you are studying the law of attraction you learn a little bit about the various other subliminal programs available on the market. This will allow you to compare them all and understand why the law of attraction is the only one which has been proven time and time again (regardless of what the researchers would have you hear).
1) Subliminal MessagingSubliminal messaging is one of the oldest forms of subliminal manipulation, and has been the one to face the greatest amount of controversy. The belief held by the believers in subliminal messaging is that since memories can often be pulled forth from the subconscious to the conscious mind, the subconscious must continue to have some effect on the conscious, whether the owner of said consciousness is aware of it or not.
Those who use subliminal messaging attempt to use various methods to introduce an idea to the subconscious, which will then transmit that idea to the conscious when the proper occasion arises. This is done through the introduction of a brief (often a thousandth of a second) to the audio and/or visual senses. This message will be so short that the conscious mind will immediately disregard it as being unimportant, while the subconscious will take the information and store it away.
Subliminal messaging was first introduced in the late 19th century and was introduced in the 1950s as a possible marketing tool. Mr. James Vicary claimed that during a film shown in his New Jersey theater he had used a tachistoscope to broadcast the words “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Hungry? Eat popcorn” for 1/3000 of a second at five second intervals, and that during the time of these broadcasts sales of both increased dramatically.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca_colaThis sparked a huge debate among the people of the United States, who were afraid that the government would now use subliminal messaging to attempt to control the things they thought and did; they would not be able to do anything about it because they would never know. This controversy led to the banning of subliminal messaging for any type of marketing purpose.
Although Mr. Vicary later admitted that the experiment had been a fraud the concept of subliminal messaging had been brought out into the open, and its possible benefits were explored at length; however, to date no study has definitively shown subliminal messaging to be an effective way to control behavior.
Affirmation is the firm declaration of something to be true, and is intended to convince the mind that what it wants to happen will. For example, stating over and over again, “I can get any job I want” is intended to instill in the mind the confidence to go out and get any job that it wants. This resembles the law of attraction, but is not sufficient to sway the subconscious until other methods are employed as well.
Wikipedia describes affirmation as so (this was interesting, showing very well how affirmation and the law of attraction are joined together, and would not have been the same if it was altered in any way).
“In spirituality and personal development, an affirmation is a form of autosuggestion in which a statement of a desirable intention or condition of the world or the mind is deliberately meditated on and/or repeated in order to implant it in the mind. Many believers recommend accompanying recitations with mental visualization of a desired outcome. Affirmation could be viewed positively as a mobilization of one's inner resources, or negatively as a kind of self-induced brainwashing, depending on the psychological depth and wisdom of the affirmation. For example, believers would consider "I am making more room in my life for success every day" a much wiser affirmation than "I will win the lottery today!" Affirmations are always phrased in the first person and usually in a present tense ("I am") rather than a future tense ("I will") in order to increase the realization of the statement for the affirmee.
Affirmations are believed to be a very powerful means of reprogramming the unconscious mind. They appear to be most effective when repeated in a quiet and restful state of mind and body, and when the desired outcome is vividly experienced in one's mind and resulting emotions are felt. They are an intrinsic part of many New Age groups including I AM Activity and the Church Universal and Triumphant of Elizabeth Clare Prophet. However, in these groups affirmations are generally recited in flat, mechanical voices at top speed and volume, in order to elevate particpants' "vibratory levels".
Perhaps the most often used and well-known affirmation is the word " Amen," which can be translated simply as "so be it" or "and so it is," affirming the truth of whatever was written or said immediately prior. While often used to conclude prayer, the word itself is neutral as to its context and exemplifies a logical affirmation more than a spiritual one.
Visualization works in much the same way as affirmation; you visualize yourself achieving something and your brain will come to believe it is so; therefore, you will be able to do it. Again, this is closely related to the law of attraction but does not address any underlying issues which could contribute to negative vibes.
Dissolve the mental and emotional bliocks and resistance that holds you back from success/
Meditation is also a powerful tool for calming and quieting the conscious mind and allowing you to gain access to the powerful subconscious mind. However, meditation requires years of practice to be able to master and for you to gain dramatic results. Fortunately, you don't have to do that anymore. Because now you can easily and automatically get into a deep meditative state of mind faster
than a Zen Master....even if you've never meditated before.
In Conclusion
Although the power of the law of attraction has yet to be supported by any physical means its effects have been proven time and time again. In spite of the opposition which you will surely face, both within your own mind and throughout the rest of your societal acquaintances, if you adhere carefully to the guidelines set forth you too will be able to unlock the power hidden within the depths of your own mind and chart the course for your own destiny.