Imagine living with a cluttered mind, an unflinching conviction to study on the last day, your neurons faltering at the relay race yet you still manifest your life every day. Whether you’re the crystal, full-blown rituals junkie or a Pinterest mood board conformist, you believe that even through the turmoil, the world has been perfectly curated for you, and that the universe will still lead you on towards the right path.

Row row row your boat gently down the stream

Merrily merrily merrily merrily 

Life is but a dream.

The concept of manifestation is a dreamy form of magic, sometimes nightmarish, without the wobbly legs of course, never contained and compacted the way we think it is. Therefore, believe it or not, magic exists, whether it’s Kala Jadoo whose servicemen are now so easily available on YouTube, or the works of manifestation—the belief that our mind harvests energy on our thoughts and directs them to the universe to do wonders. 

What is manifestation? 

Manifesting basically comes under the umbrella of the Law of Attraction which was a popular term on Facebook pages back in the 2016s until those pages started churning out clickbait articles. This phenomena has been widely credited as well as discredited at times by those whose skepticism is derived from the abstract and holistic nature of this law. However, like the works of Karma and the Evil eye, both of which have religious terminology associated with them, we still believe in these concepts even if their religious contexts are stripped off. We somehow believe in their presence and know they exist. The question is in what forms do they exist?

Surely, we do not see these concepts hovering over us but feel their concrete impact. For instance, if things do not work out the way we want, our mind may casually resort to the guilt trap of your past doings or the evil radiating eyes!

What does science say about manifesting?

Theories suggest our bodies are vessels that are either emitting energy or taking it in, and these energies are a direct result of the vibrational activities in the cellular materials. Another Universal Law known as Law of Vibration states that every atom in existence vibrates to a certain frequency, creating a way for us to attract things in the universe. All of these energies make sure what kind of vibrational state we are existing in; if we are in high vibrational state, it means we are at peace or feel a sense of ease whereas the low vibrational state means otherwise, including all sorts of negative feelings that we let ourselves to persist in and at times bombard on others as well. Consequently, LOA states that your perspective and more importantly, your frame of mind decides how things will work for you.

However, the amount of emphasis on the need to have an innate positive attitude or else the universe will come after you is a tad bit unreasonable since it’s not sunshine and rainbows all the time; as humans, our emotions vary naturally so this is a loophole in the theory that induces doubt and makes us question its credibility. After all, people with persisting negative thoughts that are hard to control (for instance, for those diagnosed with anxiety disorders or OCD) cannot  adopt the persona of conviction while living in this world, walking its worn-out paths and coming across wonky people who will surely keep you happy in your existence.

How does manifesting work?   

When it comes to manifesting aspirations, material prospects or your make-believe scenarios, it’s simply to just put it out there in the universe (at this point universe is just an extended part of yourself, a free of cost diamond vault or a big sister to get you whatever you desire). Most manifesting techniques include either  visualizing your dream life or writing it out for a period of time so that you fake it till you make it. 

If some skeptics are still scouting for some logic in here, then here you go: science. Yes, that’s your word which has somehow spiraled into the realms of manifestation due to the rule of repetition involved in LOA. Come to think of it, every religion’s daily routine inculcates repetition, which is important for neuroplasticity—the ability of the brain to rewire its neural pathways from time to time due to our willingness to adopt habits and subsequently reprogramming our subconscious-a treasure of memories and actions during our lifetime. In this case, religious practices offer their followers a source of respite daily. 

The implications of manifestation

So whether you are learning the piano or having fun painting your nails, doing it every day makes your neurons relay faster which will eventually make you a professional someday. So hang in there. No one is born overflowing with perfection; it is a mix and match of actions and situations which makes you who you are (unless you’re a prodigy, in which case, please ignore this peasant advice).

Our big brain is always ready to learn what you try to shove inside it like a smarter version of SpongeBob, and it allows you to mold your reality.

It can be implied, as the Observer Effect states, that atoms behave differently when they are being observed and herein lies our ability to form patterns of our own like a pretty butterfly fluttering amidst the ashes of an apocalyptic background (fluttering to its death?).  While manifesting is a prominent example of  pop psychology with many linking it to pseudoscience, but if it helps, then why not believe in it? 

At the end of a tiring, dejected and lamenting Monday evening, your manifesting mantra essentially just needs to make you feel satisfied and soothed just like that comfy jacket which they won’t let you wear at school. Mind you, daily affirmations work perfectly but if you are too lazy, let your people do it for you; it may feel much better! 

If you have just scrolled down the article, not knowing what’s the bluffing about, here you go in the words of Om:

“Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho toh puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai.” 

Probably since the Alchemist came before the movie, kudos to the writer.

By Tajwar Qaiser
Chief Reporter 2023-2024

Note: the views expressed in the article solely belong to the writer and do not reflect TLC.