I have come across many books discussing the 'law of attraction', mostly before I was using the forum. I have not come across many references to it here, although @Agent Smith referred to it about a week ago. I also have not come across many discussions of in relation to philosophy and I don't know whether that is because it is not seen as substantial enough as a philosophy. Some may see it as a form of superstition. I will spell out the basic idea.

The idea has been written about by a number of writers, including Esther and Jeremy Hicks, as well as Rhonda Byrne. As I have a copy of one of Rhonda Bryne's books, 'The Secret', I will give a short summary based on that. Byrne says,
'The law of attraction is the law of creation. Quantum physicists tell us that the entire Universe emerged from thought! You create your life through your life through the law of attraction, and every single person does the same.' It is based on the principle that, 'Thoughts are magnetic, and thoughts have a frequency. As you think thoughts, they are sent out into the Universe, and they magnetically attract all things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source_ you.'

Byrne also suggests that, 'Nothing can come into your experience unless you summon it through persistent thoughts'. Also, 'Your thoughts determine your frequency, and your feelings tell you immediately what frequency you are on. When you are feeling bad, you are on the frequency of drawing more bad things. When you feel good, you are powerfully attracting more good things to you'. Feelings of love and hatred also come into the picture, as, 'The feeling of love is the highest frequency you can emit. The greater the love you feel and emit, the greater the power you are harnessing.'

Those who speak of the law of attraction often suggest the importance of gratefulness rather than a focus on that which is lacking, as a way towards future abundance and success. The complex aspect is that there are subconscious aspects of thought, including whether good fortune is deserved and underlying fears vs faith.

In some ways, I find that the idea of the law of attraction difficult to accept because in many ways life circumstances often seem to include so much beyond one's conscious control. It is hard to always work out to what extent mindset and intention play an important role. However, in my experience of life, I find that negative spirals of thought frequently seem to attract misfortune while positive approaches in thought and action tend to be beneficial, although it is not always clear entirely. What do you think of the law of attraction as a philosophy, especially in relation to what becomes manifest in life? To what extent is intention of importance in the understanding of causation?