The Science of Manifestation

Through our brain's ability to build and learn new ways of adapting to changes and past mistakes, scientists have found that manifesting can be a reliable way to reach our goals. In this article, we will explore what manifestation is on a scientific level and how your brain can be conditioned to learn to adapt to new ways of thinking to achieve your goals.

What is manifestation?

“Manifestation is bringing the outcomes you desire into reality. Manifestation happens when you combine strong intentions (feelings and beliefs) with sufficient action to make a desired outcome real,” says Dr. Tara Swart, the lead neuroscientist and psychological advisor of To Be Magnetic, an online platform for those wishing to learn the science and the practice of manifestation.

How does manifestation work?

Manifestation works by connecting our goals to our actions by reframing our minds to connect more deeply to our thoughts through a process called neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to grow, change and adapt throughout life. This process helps us develop life skills that allow us to grow and become more independent as we age. Neuroplasticity occurs in stages and is said to be the most active during childhood and teenage years, as noted below.

Although neuroplasticity was thought to occur more regularly during these times, medical doctors and scientists, such as Swart, believe we can train our brains to adapt, grow and learn throughout our whole life. One study found evidence that the brain is malleable and cognitive function could be increased and “trained” with more demanding tasks and challenges throughout our lifespan. When we manifest new goals, our brain starts to learn to adapt and change to allow us to meet those goals.

Being optimistic is also essential for those who want to learn to manifest. However, the practice of manifestation is not just thinking things into existence but rather having fine-tuned goals and implementing steps to achieve these goals every day. Manifesting is when we use an optimistic outlook and implement practical tools and measures to achieve our goals or desires.

Optimistic vs manifesting – the difference:

Being optimistic is having the attitude that the outcome of a specific goal or project will be excellent or desirable. There is no action behind being optimistic other than the fundamental assumption or hope that the result is positive. In a study on optimism, researchers studied non-optimistic, optimistic, and highly optimistic people and observed them while they invested in the stock market. Surprisingly, those who were highly optimistic and invested in higher-risk stocks ultimately produced poorer results than those with mid-line optimism, who were more careful in their investment choices and quite possibly used practical tools to help aid in their decisions.

Set goals for your manifestation journey

• Be specific. Get honest about your goals and what you want. Set specific goals and be as detailed as possible.
• Visualize. Some people prefer a visual interpretation of their goals and dreams; a vision board is a perfect way to do this. Find pictures of manifestation quotes that relate to your goals and paste them onto a board. Set this somewhere where you will see it daily to remind yourself of your goals.
• Talk your goals into existence. Talking about your dreams or writing them in a manifestation journal can help you create a closer connection to those goals and help you to see them more clearly.
• Believe in your goals. One of the essential things to manifesting is believing in your dreams and goals. Whether it’s a healthy relationship, getting a promotion, or moving to another city, clearly setting tangible goals will help bring them to life.

All of these steps are said to help use your brain's capacity to implement new learning through neuroplasticity and ultimately help you reach your goals through manifestation.

Achieving your goals through manifestation

• Raised awareness. This is recognizing unconscious behaviors or actions that have been done in the past and enabling you to understand how to redirect or change them. Say you want to save $1,000. If you continually spend money on things you don’t need, you are less likely to learn to save. However, if you reframe your mindset and decide to save consciously, you are more likely to meet your goal.
• Focused attention. Journal or write your goals and manifestations by mindfully focusing on different scenarios or options without making any physical changes. For example, suppose you manifest living a healthier lifestyle. You can write your daily step goals and focus on taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
• Deliberate practice. This is purposefully and systematically implementing changes into your life to help you meet your goals through manifestation. For example, if you manifest starting your dream job, deliberate practice might be signing up for courses or classes that will lead you closer to your career goals.

Manifestation is a practice you work at daily. It’s taking the necessary steps to achieve your goals and making them a tangible reality. Einstein once said, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.” So what’s stopping us from using our minds through the use of neuroplasticity to manifest everything from higher-paying jobs to living in our dream city?