Mega Trend Manifestation: Are you still dreaming or are you already manifesting?

My friend Bea did it ten years ago: “I'm a money magnet,” was the phrase she said out loud at least once a day. A few weeks later, she was offered a management position in the Netherlands, with a six-figure annual salary. Until now I thought it was just a coincidence, but recently I've heard from more and more friends that this phenomenon is appearing. For example, Anna lit a candle every day for several weeks and wished for her ex-husband back: “Johan and I are together again.” Months later, he called and suggested a date. But by then Anna had already fallen in love again.

What is this in reality, this is manifested?

I am amazed and read. Manifestation means saying beliefs, or so-called affirmations, over and over again as if they have already happened. Because then what is desired will become reality. The sentence should be as short and specific as possible. If you dream of writing your own book, you could say, for example: “I am happy that my novel makes many people happy.”

The phenomenon of protesting has become popular, especially on social media. Videos with the hashtag #manifestation on Tiktok have been viewed more than eleven billion times. Many “life coaches” also specialize in manifestation, through online courses or appearing in front of thousands of people. Laura Malina Sellers describes herself as a “spiritual coach and visionary.” She is active on all channels: 418,580 followers on Instagram, books, an app, and “Podcast for Modern Spirituality: Happy, Holy, Confident” and reaches audiences with simple messages like “Recognize the Miracle You Are.” Sounds nice, it doesn't work for me. In the video I watched, she was wearing a hat and playing the guitar. She also laughs a lot and does a lot of self-marketing: You have to sign up and register for the next event, because places are – of course – limited. I have to listen to “111 Affirmations for the Power of Manifesting” every day, even in the shower. After two minutes click away. For me, it doesn't have enough substance, it's also a “living light” and it's a very urgent sales event.

Put your happiness in your hands

But the idea of ​​drawing life beautifully and always staying connected to my “higher self” – wherever that may be – has magic. The manifestation boom shows that there seem to be a lot of people who are no longer interested in conformity, pressure to perform and hierarchical structures, but rather prefer to discover their individuality and feel like the creator of their own existence. A longing that seems understandable in the face of major crises. If you can't influence world events, thinking about yourself is comforting. The Matthias Horrx Institute for the Future sees the mindfulness movement as a response to digitalization, globalization and the increasing speed of modern life. One of the big trends for 2024 according to Horex: personalization.

Sentences like “We are creators of our own reality” fit the zeitgeist very well. It is taken from the best-selling book The Secret by Australian author Rhonda Byrne. In it, she claims to have discovered the secret to happiness: that we can manifest anything we want. Through the Law of Resonance we can bring tangible positive things into our lives through the energy of our good thoughts.

How far does your influence really extend?

Aside from the fact that this seems esoteric to me, this is also where the criticism, and the rift, starts. Conversely, it may mean that you are responsible for not fulfilling your dream of having children, having your dream job go to someone else, or becoming seriously ill. Thinking too negatively, not showing up enough? At this point I'm out.

I'm making a new attempt that seems more serious :D. james r. Doty is a professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University and has just written a book about how spoken affirmations and visualizations actually change our subconscious mind (see next page). James Doty emphasizes the neuroplasticity of the brain, which can change in its structure and function throughout life—through experience, intention, repetition, and positive emotions. He sees manifestation as an active process in which small steps lead to the goal. It sounds good, but it takes effort because our brain wants to be as comfortable as possible in order to save energy. It blocks out stimuli and consciously filters most of our impressions: “Roughly ten million bits of information enter our minds every second – that's roughly the equivalent of ten feature films in HD quality. However, our minds can only consciously handle about fifty bits per second.” Process it,” Doty writes.

Familiarize our brain with fulfilling our desires

A large portion of our brain’s bandwidth is not even available to our awareness. As a result of this massive processing gap, our brains are programmed to be inattentive and inactive rather than attentive and selective. “Like a couch potato with certain habits who groans and would rather lie on the couch than go to a party, our brains resist new experiences that might force them to change their complex wiring,” explains the neuroscientist.

Regarding manifestation, this means: If our brain is not sufficiently aware of our desire and its fulfillment means a completely new experience, it will automatically reject this desire because new information consumes too much energy. Doty uses the image of an iceberg. Only ten percent of our awareness occurs consciously and while awake – This is the part of the iceberg that is above the water – while the subconscious mind makes up the remaining 90 percent hidden below the surface of the water.

Control your subconscious mind better in the flow

How can we use this brutal shadow cabinet to improve our lives? By regularly repeating rituals, meditations and visualization exercises, we enter a flow state in which we can nourish our subconscious. “Drowning in our inner vision is the state that connects us to creativity and allows our intentions to manifest more clearly in our subconscious. The magic is that while we go about our normal daily lives and do not constantly think about our desires, our subconscious mind continues to process them.“So as we teach the subconscious mind to seek connection, joy, fulfillment and success, we will also discover more and more ways to experience these positive feelings in reality.

Pia is also certain that it wasn’t just the money magnet phrase that helped her. This affirmation made her think intensively about the subject of money. She examined her inner attitude and developed a positive outlook on abundance and prosperity. How and where can you save or invest? What reserves are needed? Where are the highest interest rates offered? “I actively cooperated with my appearance”Pia says.

As for me: I don't have a real manifestation being yet. It is a diffuse dream image of a new living environment: close to the beach again, but more urban and quiet, with a view of the countryside and on a quiet street. But 99 other things have to happen first. But I'm starting to paint this idea more colorfully. I love it alone – and I'm excited to see what comes of it.

curious? This is how it's done

Each exercise requires a calm environment, comfortable posture, relaxed muscles, and focus on breathing. James Doty also recommends putting each wish on a piece of paper where it will be visible, for example on the refrigerator or in the car.

Focus your mind

Is there a simple activity you would like to incorporate into your daily life? Like walking after waking up. This new habit should be visualized so that you observe yourself and imagine how you will feel afterwards, such as refreshed and proud. In this way, all processes related to establishing intention in the brain are integrated.

Understand what you really want

What does success mean to you? Don't just focus on one image, let your mind wander freely for a few minutes. Look at yourself as a successful person and what that means to you. Experience your success with all your senses: what does it look like? How does he feel? What does it look or taste like?

Remove obstacles in your mind

Remember a time when you felt cared for and appreciated. Allow these positive feelings to permeate your entire experience. Now gently let go of some negative beliefs. Observe them in your mind without judging them. Now write the opposite of each negative belief, such as: “I deserve it.” Try to imagine clearly: what it will be like to achieve this?

For further reading: james r. Dottie: “Mind Magic. How to Manifest Your Best Life – Neuroscientifically Explained” (336 pages, €24, OW Barth)

Monica Detombe He wonders why some life coaches succeed despite simple messages. After all, appearance is much more than that.

Bridget