Manifestation - New Age Bulls***, Or The Secret To Actualizing Your Hopes And Dreams?
Truth be told, I was always sceptical about manifestation and the like. The idea of speaking something out loud and it magically happening reminded me of a Genie-in-the-lamp wishing system that belonged only in fairytales and the minds of children. Essentially, having no place in the “real life” efforts of trying to build my dream business. Plus, if I’m being totally transparent, I didn’t much enjoy the idea of giving “the universe” credit for the results I had seen. 13 hour days and blood, sweat and tears make for a much more tangible measurement of my achievements.
That being said, my understanding of manifestation came from little more than satirical memes and sarcastic comments that appeared in various social media scrolls. This realisation led to an unfortunate realisation. I had done no research, had no deep understanding of the subject and frankly, that level of social media-driven ignorance was far too reminiscent of those I have scolded in the past. The stereotypical Baby Boomer who made very important election decisions based only on the knowledge they had “researched” in the exact same way.
Consequently, I decided that I owed myself, and of course, the avocado and toast loving generation I represent, to conduct full and proper research on the matter. To enter into the world of “energies” with an open mind and explore all that this brave new world had to offer. Join me on this journey as together we discover the origins, excitements and complex nuances of a hashtag used over 6 million times on Instagram. Today, we take our first steps of this adventure as we light the sage, burn the incense and sit down to #manifest a whole new life.
The Definition
In its most simple definition Manifestation comes down to three simple words.
“Thoughts become things”. I know. Vague isn’t it.
Fortunately, Manifestation is a term popularised from a pseudoscience concept and book called “The Law Of Attraction” which carries a much more detailed explanation.
The Law Of Attraction suggests that we create the things, events and even people that enter our lives. Our thoughts, feelings, words and actions produce energies that produce energies which, in turn, attract like energies. Essentially, positive energies attract positive energies and vice versa. To summarize, wherever and whatever our focus is on is what we bring, or manifest, into our lives.
The History
Although “The Law Of Attraction” popularised manifestation, its history spans far beyond that of the books 1906 publication. Conceptually, The Law Of Attraction is found in a range of ancient practices and Eastern teachings. Buddhism is a fantastic example of this.
““Our thoughts make us what we are””
In the 19th Century, a woman named Helena Blavatsky, a Russian author born in 1831, travelled across the world spreading spiritual guidance throughout numerous countries. Her teachings were supposedly derived from everything from numerous ancient traditions, to mysterious and esoteric secret societies to Tibetan sacred manuscripts.
Blavatsky lead a fascinating life, she was one of the first people in America to convert to Buddhism and was essentially viewed as a spiritual hero or a condemned witch depending on who you asked. In 1888, she published one of many of her writings called “The Secret Doctrine”. Much of the content of the book is a strong reflection of what is also expressed in “The Law Of Attraction”.
“Our thoughts about ourselves and our identity are what define who we are and what we are capable of”
Around the same time, a gentleman by name of Thomas Troward found himself on a spiritual journey not so dissimilar from Blavatsky. In the early 1900s, Troward published a number of works detailing how we can gain the most knowledge by combining the various teachings from a range of spiritual beliefs. His work “ The Edinburgh Lecture On Metal Science” speaks of the connection between Mental Action and Material Conditions; again, mirroring many of the principles found in The Law Of Attraction.
“Belief in limitation is the one and the only thing that creates limitation”
As time moved forward, as it has a habit of doing, the 20th century saw numerous books from various authors detailing the core teachings of both Troward and Blavatsky. Each is written with the unique perspective of their respective Author but ultimately dictating the same core principle.
“Thoughts become things”.
The Science
The history brings us an interesting background on manifestation that is worth digging deeper into. Clearly, at least in the two previous centuries, its roots are steeped in rebellion and a collection of ancient wisdom. However, while the past conquests of the thought leaders recognised for their inception into modern society, manifestation reflects a level of cultural appropriation that’s difficult to ignore.
Perhaps not by how it was first acquired, but at the very least in its modern exploration; wherein western society has profited both financially and influentially from teachings that were heavily demonised before the realisation of their personal gain.
However, in the spirit of research, we must press on away from history to an equal measure of authority in an analysis of the concept. So as we step out of the past and into the facts, let’s ask ourselves the next obvious question.
WTF does science have to say about all of this?
Well, the Quantum Physics to be exact. At the risk of providing yet another non-specific definition, Quantum Physics is the Physics that explains how everything works.
Look, I’m rolling my eyes at that one too, trust me.
Regardless of how my eyes are animated though, Quantum Physics is the study of matter and atoms at a fundamental level. Appropriately for the matter (pun intended) of manifestation, it is essentially a study of energy and interaction.
Quantum Physics dictates that all objects, including human bodies, emit electromagnetic radiation (energy).
Image Credit - https://blisspot.com/blogs/the-emotional-vibration-analysis-frequency-chart/amp/
Manifestation enthusiasts are quick to champion the connection of the aforementioned explanation with something called the Hertz Vibration Scale.
This scale illustrates how and when our feelings change, a mirrored shift displays in a subtle hertz frequency to align with the connected “energy” output. In hippie speak, this would be referred to as vibration, man. If this is factual, it’s strong evidence for the existence of the law of attraction as it proves that our emotions create our energy output and what we “put out” into the world and vice versa.
The internet is littered with opinions, explanations and supposed science-based research both for and against these claims. So in an effort to maintain simplicity, I will explain the concept and you are welcome to form your own opinions!
Dr David Hawkins, who also brings a fascinating story to the spiritual journey we find ourselves on and who, to be fair, was far from being the quack I anticipated him to be, seems to be at the forefront of the “science-based” explanation.
Hawkins is a highly awarded and nationally recognised innovator in the medical field. Detailed here in a frankly dodgy looking website that likely hasn’t been updated since 1999.
Undertaking 20 years of research using Kinesiology Testing, Hawkins created “The Map Of Consciousness”, which grouped negative emotions, like shame, grief etc at the lowest frequency of consciousness, then positive emotions, like love and happiness, at the highest frequency. From what I can gather, the Hertz Frequency matches each level of consciousness with its respective energy frequency.
There is a YouTube video that details this amazingly! You can check it out here.
The Psychology
Far less complex to untangle than the above, the psychology of Manifestation is relatively easy to understand and accept as a logical explanation for the benefits it claims to provide.
Have you ever found yourself predicting the outcome of a future situation, based on the sum of your experiences of similar events before? For example, say you had an upcoming maths exam and expected to do badly and thus did so. Popular psychology would attribute that to the “self-fulfilling prophecy” phenomena, first defined by sociologist Robert Merton in 1948.
“The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come ‘true’”
A self-fulling prophecy is also within your subconscious mind. Dictating that you may unconsciously work to affirm your expectation of an event or action; therefore amplifying the negative in your subconscious which, in turn, encourages behaviours in your conscious that orchestrates that outcome.
“If you wake up and immediately think—perhaps for no particular reason at all—that today is going to be a terrible day, your attitude might make your prediction come true”
The Action
Feeling convinced?
At this point I still find myself airing on the side of little more than curiosity. As such, my manifestation story turns to personal experience. A try before you buy if you will. If you find yourself nodding in agreement, the following, taken from the accumulation of numerous sources, is the “how-to-guide” on mastering the law of attraction.
Step 1 - Clarity
It stands to reason that you cannot manifest that which you desire if you do not know what exactly those desires are. The aim of the game is to be specific. For example, rather than “ I want to earn shitloads of money” ask yourself, “what are my specific financial goals?”, “How have I arrived at that number?” and even “What will change for me when I achieve that number, how will my life look different?”.
Step 2 -Write Them Down
Writing something by hand offers a brilliant hack in creating thoughts our brain perceives as “valuable” in our minds. By default, writing them down repeatedly ensures a consistent focus point. Having a journal and notebook you allocate for these also helps.
Step 3 - Visualize
Visualisation is a tool used by many more people than just the enlightened. Numerous professional athletes, celebrities and entrepreneurs attest much of their success to the process.
Let’s say you are intent on manifesting winning an award you have been nominated for. Close your eyes and picture your name being announced, walking up onto the stage and shaking the hand of the presenter. Focus on the emotions associated with that moment. “How and what did you feel?” and “why did you feel that way?”.
Step 4 - Faith, Focus and Affirmation
Here’s the catch, a certain amount of belief in the practice seems necessary. You must believe entirely in your capability to achieve these things and strive to separate yourself from the negative thought patterns surrounding them. From what I can ascertain, this is not to say that you cannot have those feelings. Instead, similarly to meditation, the aim is to observe them without giving them merit. Pro Tip: Using sage, palo santo or even a scented candle can also help to anchor this practice and help with the ritual for you too.
Step 5 - Receive With Acceptance And Gratitude
Practice awareness for when your manifestations begin to, for lack of a better word, manifest. Appreciating what you have will cement in your brain your ability to achieve what you desire. In theory, simplifying the journey and affirming your self-belief in both the process and yourself.
The Conclusion On Manifestation
The history, scientific and psychological explanations tied to manifestation, at the very least, make it a fascinating subject. This, matched with its endorsements by many who we idolise, who have achieved lives many of us dream of (Will Smith and Oprah for example), only serves to drive an admittedly self-involved question. “Will this work for me?”.
Thus, in the true spirit of research, I have endeavoured to undertake a challenge to step further into the spiritual consciousness with an open heart and mind and practice manifestation for 30 days. The results I will post in part 2 of these posts to answer, at least for myself, once and for all.
“Can I manifest that which I desire?”
Want to join me on this 30-day adventure into the unknown? Great! We would love to hear how it went for you!
In the meantime. Manifestation or not, there is great value in believing you possess and drive greatness. So as I say goodbye, for now, I leave you with my favourite quote found on our shared journey to enlightenment -
“What writes history is the power of ideas and every moment offers the potential to write something new”.