Book Review: Amazing Power of Deliberate Intention

by Esther and Jerry Hicks
Buy from Amazon.

You can’t read about the Law of Attraction without Esther Hicks coming up. Esther calls herself the “translator of the vibration of Abraham.” That is, she is able to receive messages from entities she collectively calls “Abraham” who exist on a different level. She claims that she is “bridging the physical word, in which I am focused, with the Non-Physical world in which they are focused.” For the purpose of this review, I will suspend my disbelief that she is, in fact, channeling supernatural entities (I suppose we all have our muses) and focus on the message, which is living consciously.

What is deliberate intention? Esther explains it as

“Deliberate creating really is about “Allowing” your while creation is certainly about outcomes, or the manifestation of wanted things, experiences, and conditions, it is really more about the process of creation. In other words, it is wonderful to attract and therefore possess a beautiful new vehicle - but life is really about the process of doing so.”

The heart of the message in the book is that we’re all Vibrational Beings. Our emotions are proof that we’re an eternal non-physical being. Because our eyes interpret vibration, we have the sense of sight. Because our ears interpret vibration, we have the sense of hearing, and so forth. (You can buy that, or not. I don’t really see it as being that

“With your deliberate intention and some practice, you will not only have an awareness of your relationship with your Non-Physical Self, but you will be able to maintain a constant vibrational alignment with hat Non-Physical Self. We call that conscious state of deliberate vibrational alignment with your Source Energy… the Art of Allowing. It is the art of allowing the fullness of who you are to be present in this powerful Leading-Edge moment.

Whenever you achieve this wonderful Connection, you feel more alive; you feel eagerness, passion, love, appreciation, clarity, vitality, and enthusiasm. In other worlds, you allow yourself the benefit of all that you have become, to be present in this Leading-Edge moment of creation. It is the optimal creative experience; it is the optimal expression of life - and it is your most natural state of being.”

Or, to cut to the chase, Esther (and Abraham) believes that you should find your true/core self and remain true to your core values. As I read this, the vibrational being stuff sounds more like a metaphor for the fact that often we live our lives for others. When we do that, we’re not aligned with our own strengths, passions, and energizers and we don’t live life as fully as we could.

But simply believing and focusing your attention isn’t enough to obtain what you desire. Like the teachings in The Secret, Hicks advises you to focus on what you want, not your lack of what you want. So if you want money, you must focus on having an abundance of money, not your debts piling up.

And like in The Secret, Hicks states that “Anything you focus upon long enough must become truth! It is law!” I’ve talked about why I disagree with this in my article on the science behind The Secret, but it’s not surprising that Hicks is so focused on finding a vibrational match between you and your desires than focusing on it.

That said, she does take the philosophy in The Secret a step further. The vast majority of the book offers numerous examples of ways to reframe your thoughts and beliefs. For instance, if your desire is “I want clarity of thought. I want to learn easily and to retain what I’ve learned.” The incompatible belief that many people have is that “I’m often confused and don’t retain the things I read or learn.” A better way to rephrase that is to say “When I want clarity, and when I deliberately focus, I’m clear.”

It’s here where people who are stuck will find the book to be extremely valuable. By going through so many examples, it’s virtually impossible not to find a new way to look at things. She offers different questions that you can ask yourself that may change your perspective and sheds light on turning negative thought patterns into positive ones. The book follows up with a transcript of a Q&A with Abraham to further clarify how changing your beliefs about different life situations can point you to where the solutions may lie.

There’s virtually no talk about taking action here. This is purely a book about getting over your limiting thought patterns and learning to ask better, more empowering questions that will focus you on what you want. And the more you focus on say - low prices or your spouse’s best qualities, the more you start to notice them in your daily life. I wouldn’t exactly call that a supernatural revelation, but some people need the long winded explanation in order to discover it for themselves. Buy from Amazon.