Is Manifestation Real? A Deep Dive Into The World of Manifestation

Manifestation is a concept rooted in various belief systems and philosophies, exploring the idea that thoughts and emotions can influence one's reality. This deep dive into the world of manifestation delves into its origins, the principles behind it, and the scientific perspectives that either support or challenge its validity. From ancient spiritual practices to modern self-help movements, this exploration aims to uncover the common threads and diverse interpretations surrounding manifestation.

By Liv Surtees / Dec 19 2023

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It’s the buzzword of the moment: manifestation! Whether you’ve seen and heard countless amounts of influencers telling you how they achieved their wildest dreams with the help of manifestation or you’ve been advertised manifestation journals left, right, and centre, you’ll likely have been brought into the world of manifestation!

So, are you curious to find out if manifestation works? Are you trying to figure out whether it’s just hype or if it’s actually real? Or, maybe you just want to know more about this mystical force that is supposed to help you bring everything you’ve ever hoped for into your life.

You’re in the right place - in this article we’re going to take a deep dive into the world of manifestation, coming to a conclusion about whether manifestation is actually real or not, and help you become a pro when it comes to calling things you want into your life.

what is manifestation?

Essentially, manifesting is the practice of thinking about things you want to invite in your life up to a point where these things then appear in your life. It can be thought about as, “think about it hard or long enough and it will come true”.

Although TikTok might lead us to believe that manifestation is something that has recently been discovered, the roots of manifestation can be found in Buddhist teachings, Hindu teachings, and in other ancient Eastern religions and cultures - people have been manifesting for a long time, it’s nothing new!

is manifestation the same as law of attraction?

Manifesting is similar to the Law of Attraction - a concept we are all typically a lot more familiar with that suggests what you focus on and what you give your energy to denotes the things you get in life/the people you surround yourself with/the things you experience.

However, the difference between manifestation and the Law of Attraction is that manifestation is an active practice of bringing certain things into your life, whereas the Law of Attraction occurs and doesn’t have an element of actively inviting certain things into your life.

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does manifestation actually work?

Now that you know that manifestation has been around for centuries, you might have more faith in it and fully believe that it works. However, you may also be on the side that thinks “how does pushing your desires and dreams out into the world actively make them come true?”.

Well, actually, both of these standpoints ring true!

Obviously, as we know, the Law of Attraction is real - you get back what you put out into the world. Therefore, the act of manifesting can work on its own, single-handedly, when used to support the Law of Attraction theory in your life. For example, if you decide to manifest a specific emotion, you may start spending time around different people, experiencing new things, and begin to raise your vibration.

This may provide you with new opportunities that differ from the ones you had before - you’ve manifested a greater lifestyle change by using the Law of Attraction to support that change!

However, simply manifesting things and expecting them to occur is not effective. For example, sitting at home and writing down, “I will raise my income by 50% this year”, but then not actually asking for a raise or starting that new business, isn’t effective - it’s highly unlikely that whatever you think about will magically appear in your life.

Although there may be certain people that wish things into their lives and it comes straight to them (if you’re one of them, let me know - I need this skill!), manifestation is normally meaningless without some type of action.

3 reasons why manifestation doesn't work for some

1. The act of manifestation itself isn’t done as a proper practice.

Not to sound too “woo-woo”, but manifesting needs to be done right, in a spiritual setting, and you need to truly believe in what you’re pushing out into the universe.

Manifestation is a serious practice - you’re asking the universe to help you with something that you’re longing for. Therefore, you need to take it seriously!

Manifesting can look different to everyone - from sitting down with candles and journals to creating a mood board and speaking your hopes to the universe every time you look at it. However, it needs to be done with a wholehearted approach and with respect. After all, if you’re asking for support from the universe that holds all of creation, it’s probably a good idea to take it seriously.

If you simply write down a fleeting goal or dream without bringing a deeper connection to your thoughts, you can’t expect much change to show up in your real life.

2. The act of manifestation is a one-time thing

Manifesting is a process, not a one-time thing. You can’t simply ask for something and then receive it - we’re not all Veruca Salt from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and thank gosh, look how that worked out for her!

For manifestation to be truly impactful, it has to be upheld and continued in the long run. A lot of people tend to give up with manifestation after they’ve attempted to manifest once and then realise that their goals didn’t come to fruition suddenly.

Manifestation isn’t about asking for what you want and having it come into your life straight away - it’s about consistently manifesting the life you desire until you realise that you are living it!

3. There’s no follow-up action after the manifestation practice

Most importantly, as already mentioned, manifestation rarely works without any type of action being done. You can’t expect something to come to you after putting one thought into the world and then turning your back on it.

Instead, you have to take both physical and mental action. This means that you have to physically put in the work to make your dreams or goals come true and you have to mentally take action mentally when it comes to believing not just that you can achieve what you want, but that you’re already the type of person who should achieve the goals you have.

Manifestation should be thought of as a tool, a very useful tool, but a tool, nonetheless.

5 top tips to effectively manifest

If you’re looking to effectively use the tool of manifestation, here are 5 tips you can follow to ensure you’re seeing the best possible results.

1. get clear on your goals

Obviously, the very first thing you need to do when manifesting is become completely clear on your goals. The more specific your goals are, the more likely you can work specifically towards them and the more likely they will come to fruition.

For example, instead of manifesting a new business success, you could instead reframe that and make it more specific by setting a goal like “I want to reach X amount of sales in X month within my business”.

Also, whilst it’s important to say that you can definitely manifest more than one goal or dream at a time, it can be helpful to start with one specific goal in mind and manifest that, especially if you’re new to manifestation!

2. work through any limiting beliefs

Both in manifestation and in your life as a whole, one of the most impactful things that will be holding you back is the limiting beliefs you hold. Limiting beliefs are little lies that we tell ourselves in order to diminish our self-worth and self-confidence. They stop us from receiving what we deserve and hold us back from making the moves in life that we truly want to.

So, before you manifest anything, you need to get rid of any limiting beliefs that may be holding you back from achieving your goals! Even if you can’t fully rid yourself of limiting beliefs you hold, you can reframe them positively. For example, instead of saying “I can’t do that type of work”, you could reframe the belief by saying, “I can always learn new things because I am capable”.

3. visualise your manifestation

Regardless of how you want to actually practice manifestation (whether surrounding yourself with candles and crystals regularly to manifest is your go-to or you want to journal about your manifestations on a daily basis), you should visualise your manifestation to improve the likelihood that it will come true!

Visualisation is the practice of imagining something as if it was real - creating an image in your mind as if it was really there. Visualisation can be an incredibly impactful tool that helps your mind already believe you’re in the place that you want to be, boosting your self-esteem and confidence levels to help you go after what you want. So, do it and boost the efficacy of your manifestations!

4. regularly check-in with your manifestations

Manifesting is a long-term process, so make sure that you take time on a regular basis to not only focus and further manifest your desires, but check in with the goals and dreams that you’re manifesting.

A great way to make sure you’re regularly manifesting is to either set a weekly “meeting” with yourself to manifest, or to simply keep your manifestations visually somewhere you will see them on a regular basis (for example, in a journal you use daily or by your mirror!).

5. take decisive, empowered action

Once you’ve mastered the art of practising the act of manifestation, it’s time to take decisive action towards your goals!

Manifesting a healthier lifestyle? Sign up for that new workout class you’re so keen to go to! Manifesting a wonderful new romantic partner? Make a promise to go on one date every 2 weeks! Manifesting a raise? Speak to your manager about how you can get there!

As much as the universe will be trying to support you, it needs to know you’re supporting yourself too! So, it all comes down to the action you take, so make sure that you’re taking some!