- During World War 2, natives in the South Pacific witnessed planes dropping supplies and were given goods by soldiers. When the soldiers left, the goods stopped arriving. - The natives imitated the soldiers' behaviors like using wooden headphones and waving flags, believing this would make the goods be dropped again. They had formed "cargo cults" that practiced rituals hoping to receive more cargo. - Some cargo cults incorporated Christian beliefs, thinking that pleasing Jesus would cause cargo to be delivered from heaven. The concept of heaven containing abundant material goods also influenced their ideas.

1. Cargo Cults
What’s in it for me?

2. World War II
in the South Pacific
Natives on many south Pacific islands had never before
seen airplanes, modern war ships and other strange sights
-- such as tanks, Jeeps and men wearing godlike clothing.
Very often, cargo planes would parachute crates of
clothing, canned food, tents, weapons and other useful
stuff for the amazing new visitors -- who often shared the
goodies with the natives.
But when the war ended, the soldiers left and
all the stuff stopped dropping from the sky.

3. The natives assumed that all they had to do was
imitate the practices they had seen the soldiers
performing to make the “sky gods” come back
with all the neat stuff.
Thus, they carved headphones from wood, and
wore them while sitting in fabricated control
towers, or airplanes made of bamboo. They
waved landing signals while standing on the old
runways.

4. Members of the modern day “John Frum” cargo cult celebrate John Frum Day
in hope that their deity, John Frum, will bring them “Cargo”.

5. • As a result of missionary efforts,
Christianity and the myth of the “cargo”
intermix.
• The result is that the natives create
their own version of Christianity in
which Jesus makes the “cargo” in
heaven, and only by being good
Christians can they receive the “cargo”.

6. • Both are inexorably linked to commerce.
• “Commerce is intended to carry, even to all the world, the blessed
message of salvation.” –Anglican bishop Samuel Wilberforce in a sermon (1860)

7. • “Cargo Heaven” is a concept of heaven as a place
where all your material needs and wants are met.
• An example of this in Christianity is the belief that
the streets of heaven are paved with gold. (aka:
everyone is rich)
-And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl.
And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. (Rev 21:21 NKJV)

8. God will make you rich
TV evangelists often
promise that if you give to
God (preferably 10%) then
God will give to you. So
believe and you will be
saved (financially that is).
There is nothing mysterious about how you earn
$US200 million ($215 million) a year promising
people prosperity, healing and eternal salvation. No
one knows how to do it better than Pastor Benny
Hinn. He was at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
last month and the Hinn machine in action - healing
and sucking in the money.

9. Do New Agers Follow
Cargo Cults?
The Secret based on the Law of Attraction was a type
of Cargo Cult
A more modern consensus among New Thought
thinkers is that the Law of Attraction says people's
thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) dictate the
reality of their lives, whether or not they're aware of it.
Essentially "if you really want something and truly
believe it's possible, you'll get it", but putting a lot of
attention and thought onto something you don't want
means you'll probably get that too.

10. Misusing the Law Of
Attraction
Here’s a sample of what’s peddled
• The secret to prospering through the recession – Become a
money magnet.
• The 3 often overlooked principles of The Law of Attraction,
and why you must master them.
• One overwhelmingly simple gesture that could change your
life and manifest your desires.
• Reject negative energies at a whim – How thousands have
prospered through the Lancelot’s Armour technique.
• PLUS: The truth about wealth – a billionaire’s shocking
confession.

11. The Blame Game
Did you ever really want a bike or a toy or
something when you were a kid?
And if you wanted it hard enough you got it by
wanting it and wanting it …
Or was it really because you saved up or it was your
birthday?
Or maybe you didn’t get it.
Well then you mustn’t have wanted it hard enough.
So it’s your fault!
(Not the law or the author or the book!)

12. Quantum Physics or
Quacksome Physics?
Writing in the New York Times, Virginia Heffernan
said: "“The Secret” is not really a book but a series of
misquotations from historical figures and fraudulent
maxims from no-count hucksters. And yet something
in that gooey red waxy seal on the front of “The
Secret,” and the book’s believe-in-magic glitter, takes
me to a happy place." The hitherto undiscovered
"Secret", is actually a mix of misunderstood quantum
physics and a re-telling of "New Thought" fallacies,
which have been around since the late 18th century.

13. Salma Hayek
...if you think really, really hard, say,
about vigorously cavorting with Salma
Hayek on a soft, fluffy bed, you will
emit a magnetic signal to the universe
that will make your vision a reality.
Greg Beato, (Reason)

14. Associative Thinking
Because B follows A then A caused B
I needed a parking space so I rubbed on a spot on
the dashboard and lo and behold a space
appeared! And that happens again and again
(well mostly!)
I want to win the lottery so I pick certain numbers
that mean something to me (and I always win! I
just buy another ticket so I can win again.)

15. • Cargo cults
• Christian TV evangelists
• New Age Prosperity
• Some supposedly “magical” thinking
What do they have in common?

16. What if we had the power?
The Butterfly Effect
By changing the past
to “fix” things
in the present
The Lathe of Heaven
By our dreams

17. The Lathe of Heaven – Cartoon Style

18. Be careful what
you wish for
Especially if you are an apprentice
Because you just might get it!

19. So what is real magical thinking?
In Ursula le Guin’s Earthsea Trilogy
fantasy series, Ogion, the wizard
teaching the apprentice Ged (later to
become Sparrowhawk), has the
power to control the weather but
instead he lets them walk around in
the rain much to Ged’s chagrin
Why?