Manifesting …. is it real or is it a sham?
Does it actually work? Or is it twenty-first century snake oil?
In case you’ve been living under a rock, let me explain the concept of manifesting. Manifesting is the idea that if you really want something, you can have it. If you truly believe in a dream or a goal, you can achieve it. You can create, or manifest it.
How exactly do you do this?
When you dive into the nitty-gritty, the details become sketchy. The universe is made of vibrations, so we are told. Therefore, you must strive to create positive vibrations to match the vibrations of the universe. Once you are on the same wavelength, good things from the world will be attracted to you.
Got it?
It sounds new-agey in the worst kind of way, but could it work?
Oprah has been singing the praises of manifesting for years. But Gabby Bernstein is one of the loudest voices in the field nowadays. Curious about the whole enterprise, I signed up for a free four week course through her app which taught the basics of manifesting.
Allow me to share my knowledge.
First, you must make your very specific “ask” to the universe, putting your hope and dream out there to be received. For instance, “I want a black Volvo.” That may be your ask. Then, you must be patient. Look for signs from the universe that your dream is coming. Maybe you see a row of black Volvos on the highway, or a new ad for a black Volvo. Next, you should offer positivity in your daily life. You should show gratitude. This helps you get yourself right with the vibrations, and the universe will reward you. Eventually, you will get your black Volvo. As she says, “the universe has your back.”
Reader, don’t judge me, I paid for six more months of Gabby’s coaching.
No, I didn’t need a car. But I was in the throes of writing a thriller at the time, which would become The Bachelorette Party (out September third). The book features Alex, a true crime devotee, who is researching the infamous 666 serial killer. Her friends set up a “true-crime” bachelorette slumber party at the very site of brutal murders. A fun time is had by all — that is until Alex wakes up in the middle of the night with blood on her hands and her friends missing. The book is about the limits of friendship, the rocky journey from new adult to just plain adult, and yes, a brutal serial killer.
Putting Manifesting to the Test
What does this have to do with manifesting? While I was in the submission phase, otherwise known as hell, I decided to give it a go. My ask? To get an offer on a the book. So I did all the things – I put my ask out there, looked for signs from the universe, and meanwhile tried to show gratitude and be a beacon of positivity. Per instructions, I even visualized the phone call from my agent, imagining a California number popping up on my phone.
Days later, a California number popped up on my phone! (It was a spam call). Two days later, another California number! (That was also a spam call.) The next time a California number showed up, I knew the drill and answered with a truculent “hello?”
Of course … that was my agent.
The idea of manifesting is tempting, oh so tempting.
Maybe a person could…I don’t know…manifest his or her way onto the New York Times bestseller list? As a writer, we write a book, then relinquish control over it. Rule number one is to write the best book you can write, then let the universe (or in this case the publisher) do its thing. But in reality, that’s not so easy. We can do everything in our power to promote our book. Advertise on Google or get a million Instagram followers. But when it comes down to it, the writer can only do so much. You may be the hottest new #booktok sensation, or not. Lady Luck will have her way. Manifesting seems like a sneaky work-around, a way to wrest control over something essentially uncontrollable.
Why Focusing on the Positive Matters
And in a way, manifesting makes perfect sense. Okay, maybe not the vibrations part, but the idea that either a good outcome can happen, or a bad outcome can happen. The good outcome may be just as likely as the bad one, so why do we focus on the bad one? Probably, because it’s human nature. Deciding that something will go poorly is another way of asserting control. You can say, “see? I told you it wouldn’t work out, didn’t I?” Positivity attracts positivity, and negativity attracts negativity. So, if you visualize your goal and carry an unshakeable belief that you will achieve it, you actually might.
But then again, you might not.
Is there any harm in manifesting? I don’t think so. Believing you can achieve your desires, and that you are worthy of your dreams, both seem like valid, lofty goals.
So, is it real or fake? Do I believe in manifesting?
No.
Errr…yes.
Well, maybe.
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