manifestation isn’t just woo

Most people scoff at the word manifestation.

It’s woo-woo.
It’s too spiritual.
It defies most people’s experiences.
It doesn’t align with what we’ve been taught.

Manifestation doesn’t get the respect it deserves, probably for good reason.

Too many gurus spouting that manifestation is the key to fixing all of your problems. Books like The Secret, while maybe well-intended, do a disservice to the word and don’t explain what manifestation really is.

I’ve never believed manifestation to be just the act of wanting something badly and then seeing it magically come to you; just ask any child if manifestation is real, and they can quickly share how they want many things badly but never receive.

I have always believed that manifestation was possible, although I didn’t always know that’s what it was called.

I remember going into my junior year of high school basketball season, knowing I’d be playing varsity but not knowing whether or not I’d be a starter. I believed I’d be a starter. If you asked me, it was a done deal. But the coaches had not told me the starting spot was mine.

I remember cutting out a headline from the local newspaper that said, “Justin will start this Sunday.” At the time, the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts had been injured, and the backup quarterback, Paul Justin, would be the starting quarterback. I snipped the “this Sunday” and pinned the clipping to a corkboard in my room.

I believed it. I reminded my Self. I embodied. I went out and put in the work. I was the starting shooting guard that season.

I didn’t know “manifestation” back then, but somehow I knew the power of my thoughts, beliefs, and envisioning what I wanted–I also knew I couldn’t sit around, doing nothing, and receive what I desired.

Experiences like my junior year (and I have plenty more to share) are all I need to believe in the power of manifestation and to understand what the process really is.

But my experiences, and even the experiences of others, may not convince you that you have the power to attract the life you want and that you might be unintentionally attracting a life you don’t want.

Thankfully, there is science that supports the possibility and power of manifestation.

I just started reading Mind Magic by Dr. James Doty, and while I’m not going to dive into the science in this note, I do want to share a few powerful quotes from the beginning of the book--these are all just from the introduction (bolded text is my emphasis):

“In fact, the first step in successfully manifesting is to separate yourself from the belief that there is an external source for solving your problems, and that this external source is what is manifesting in your life.”

“You simply must believe that the source of your well-being and success is nothing other than the power of your own mind. The reality is that the same mind that creates the obstacles to the life you want is also the source of the intention that will make the life you want real.”

“Manifestation is about cultivating a fierce belief in possibility.”

“Manifesting is not a cure or a fix for all suffering.”

“Thus, I see manifesting as, at its heart, a practice of well-being, engagement with the world, and living a good life.”

“The true gift of visualizing our intentions again and again is to go through life with a buoyant sense that things will work out for us, which liberates us to be both responsive and resilient no matter what our external circumstances bring.”

“Manifesting is essentially the process of intentionally embedding the thoughts and images of the life we desire into our subconscious.”

"Visualization works because, amazingly, the brain does not distinguish between an actual physical experience and one that is intensely imagined."

“Once the goal is embedded in our subconscious, our brain works like bloodhound seeking opportunities to bring it about in reality, putting the full force of our conscious and subconscious minds behind the search. As opportunities arise, we notice them and respond, taking the necessary action to further our goal.”

And finally,

“Once we have done everything we can to manifest our goal, we must accept that is all we can do and no longer have attachment to the outcome. Manifestation has its own timeline that may or may not correspond with ours. Also, the reality is that not all of our goals will manifest, and often there are many reasons why that is the case, which are not apparent at the time.”

If you can’t get over the feelings you associate with the word manifestation, try choosing a different word. But don’t dismiss keep the underlying science and understanding that could drastically change how your experience the rest of your life.

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See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC