The Art of Manifestation

Written by WIN Staff, Lauren Nish

It’s impossible to exist in this world today and not have heard the buzz around manifesting.   In fact, “in the 1990's, only 2% of adults believed in the Law of attraction, but today that percentage has grown to 73% of the world's population.”  You’re also probably wondering whether it’s just some hippie-dippie, mumbo-jumbo or whether there is some scientific truth behind it.  Does it even work?

So what is manifestation anyways?

Manifestation is the practice of visualizing your goals, hopes, dreams, etc into existence. It can also be understood as the concept of attraction through belief. There are different ways to do this, or methods: Journaling, 369, Vision Boards, 55 x 5, and Positive Affirmations…the list goes on. 

Does manifesting actually work? 

The science is there! Maybe not for every type of manifestation, but certainly for forms of manifestation that involve visualization. One study proved that by visualizing something enough times, your brain starts to think that the visualization is a real event. Thanks Thalamus!... thus, making it easier and more realistic to manifest it in your life. For example, if your manifestation consists of  visualizing yourself acing an interview, your brain will begin to think you will, and your fears, doubts and stress-all things that can cause you to do poorly in an interview- can disappear.   This is why when professional athletes prepare for a game they will spend time visualizing performing, and not just physically practicing. 

Additionally, science has shown that when we’re faced with something new, or unknown, we rely on past experiences to determine how we handle these situations. If you manifest positive images, or simply manifest these situations in which you are unsure of, or want to do better in, you’ll react differently-and more positively-to them. This study was based on the concept of prior experience helping us react better to things, and as stated before, even if we’ve never gotten that new job, we can trick our brain into thinking we have, because of the science behind visualization, and once again, the thalamus. However, because the brain needs to think the situation or thing is real, you need to be VERY clear and intentional about manifesting and incorporate feelings, touch, sound, taste, and emotions into your manifestations. All types of manifesting can work, if you have a precise and detailed visualization of the situation or thing you’re manifesting.

The last piece of evidence that proves manifesting is a real and useful practice: optimists are more successful! While manifestation doesn’t directly equate to optimism, manifesting is all about believing in the positive and expecting it, whether that’s getting your dream job, taking control of your finances, or attracting a better partner. Studies show that optimistic people make more money, and are more likely to be promoted.  So, don’t believe me, believe the science and start manifesting today!

Interested in learning to manifest in real time? WIN Summit 2023 will be hosting a manifestation workshop, Future Forecasting: How to manifest your dreams, on April 19, 2023 from 9:30 - 10:00 am ET. Register and learn more about the event here.