1. What we should distinguish from the beginning: "Doing nothing."

The phrase "doing nothing" actually contains completely different meanings. For example,

• Do not do unnecessary things.
• Do not try to control excessively.
• Abandon the idea that effort is everything.
• Do not make wage labor the center of your life.
• Let nature take its course.
• Release attachment to results.
• Do not try to achieve spiritual awakening.
• Literally, do absolutely nothing.

These are all different. However, in modern spirituality, these differences tend to become ambiguous. Therefore, the idea of "not making unnecessary efforts" can inadvertently lead to "you don't need to take action," which further progresses to "you don't need to work," and ultimately reaches a point where "abundance will still be given even without that." To understand this change, it is necessary to consider the source in several different ways.

2. New Sort is not a "do nothing" philosophy.

Tracing back modern "law of attraction" thought, we arrive at New Thought, which developed in late 19th century America. In New Thought, ideas such as "human thoughts and beliefs influence life," "focus on abundance rather than scarcity," and "changing one's mental state can change life" were developed. In the early 20th century, William Walker Atkinson published "Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World" (1906), where the term "Law of Attraction" is also used.

However, what is important here is that New Sort is essentially an active ideology. In terms of structure,

Changing your thinking leads to changing your beliefs, which leads to changing yourself, which leads to changes in your actions and life, which ultimately leads to a change in reality.

It is something different from "doing nothing." Rather, it is closer to a self-improvement philosophy of actively changing one's life by using one's own mind.

3. The concept of manifesting desires through the subconscious mind had been present in Japan from early on.

In Japan, the term "Law of Attraction" became widespread in the 2000s, but similar ideas existed before that. A representative figure is Joseph Murphy. His book, "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind," was introduced in Japan as early as the 1960s, and the idea of "realizing desires by using the subconscious mind" became widely known. At this stage, a structure already existed that was similar to the current Law of Attraction, which is "the inner self influences external reality."

Therefore, what is known in Japan as "attraction" did not suddenly begin from zero with the publication of "The Secret" in 2006. The groundwork for it had been laid decades before that.

4. The "spiritual world" of Japan and New Age in the 1980s.

In the 1980s, a culture called "spiritual world" grew larger in Japan. Various ideas such as Shirley MacLaine, channeling, Bashar, meditation, Eastern philosophy, reincarnation, and cosmic consciousness began to be discussed within the same cultural sphere. Here, something slightly different from the "neo-sort" way of thinking enters. That is, harmony with the universe. Rather than "creating reality through one's own efforts," phrases like "going with the flow of the universe," "following synchronicity," "trusting intuition," and "letting go of attachments" become important.

This change is quite important for what will later be described as "being given things without doing anything."

5. Bashar surprisingly says, "Take action."

What is often misunderstood about Bashar is this: One of Bashar's famous ideas is to "choose what excites you the most." However, this does not mean that "if you just wait excitedly, the universe will take care of everything." Rather, it means, "Follow your excitement and act on it."

In other words, "taking actual action in a direction that excites you" is important. Therefore, Bashar is not originally a complete non-action ideology.

Internal sensation -> Selection -> Action -> Do not be attached to the result.

It has a structure like that.

6. The Law of Attraction Becomes Popular in Japan

In the 2000s, "Law of Attraction" became widely known in Japan as "Hikiyose no Hōsoku" (the Law of Attraction). A major turning point was Rhonda Byrne's book "The Secret" in 2006. Furthermore, works by Esther and Jerry Hicks were also translated, and the term "hikiyose" (attraction) became established. Here,

Ask → Believe → Receive

"Seeking," "believing," and "receiving" are emphasized. What is important to note here is the last one, Receive = receiving. In New Sort, there was a strong sense of proactivity in "changing reality through one's own thoughts." However, as the Law of Attraction became more popular, the direction shifted towards "receiving," "allowing," "not resisting," and "leaving it up to the universe."

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