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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Plattsburgh chapter.

A new TikTok trend emerges in gen-z lives and it’s called shifting. 

Shifting is a meditative technique that lets you mentally experience alternative lives. For example, you can be in Hogwarts with Draco Malfoy or enter the Alice in Wonderland reality. Reality shifting is a way you can move your consciousness from your current reality to the one you desire. 

The hashtag #shiftingrealities on TikTok has 2.6 billion views and some videos range from 2 to 1 million views. Most of the shifting videos are based around going into the Hogwarts reality and most of them are Draco fans. Alice Bebacy, known as @Shift1ngtodrac0 on TikTok said, “I get excited when I shift into a different reality, I can become whom I want to be and I have control over different aspects, especially over things I can’t control in real life.” 

She continues to say “When I first did it I was a bit scared because I didn’t know that it could have even happened, I love Hogwarts and Draco, and shifting into a world with them blew my mind.”

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdj8V7G9/

A video of @Shift1ngtodrac0 

“With everything that is happening in 2020-2021, the shifting reality is just a great way to escape reality.” Chloe Harlow commented. She first heard about shifting on YouTube but decided to go on TikTok to see what it was all about. “I thought it was one of those stupid trends going around, but it was during the pandemic, and I was bored so I decided to try it.” 

When Harlow first tried it she felt like it was lucid dreaming, “I was so confused but I did a bit more research and there are many methods on how to do it and then I heard about scripts.” She decided to follow someone else’s script and that was when it finally worked for her. 

There are many ways that a person can shift but there are methods or scripts that people follow. 

The Pillow Method

This method is one of the simple ways you can shift, it involves you writing down affirmations on a piece of paper, repeating them before bed and placing them under your pillow.

The Heartbeat Method

With this method, you will need to listen to an audio of the heartbeat of someone from your desired reality, you will also have to place it under your pillow and just imagine you are laying on their chest.

The Elevator Method 

This one is a popular method. You imagine yourself in an elevator and your energy levels get higher and higher with each floor the elevator passes. Once your energy is high enough it will open to your desired reality. 

The Raven method

You lay on your bed in a starfish position and count to 100 while repeating positive affirmations between each number. This one is the most popular on TikTok.

Creating a script is something shifters recommend also. Creating a detailed script of your desired reality can help with the process. When creating the script it can be written, virtual, physical or visual. It’s whatever you are comfortable with. These scripts go into detail on the life you want in your desired reality, e.g. What you want to look like, who your friends are, all the way down to how the air smells.  

Many TikTok users use shifting realities to escape from reality. It’s an innocent way that truly bothers no one.

Aissatou Lo

Plattsburgh '23

Hi! My name is Aissatou Lo. I am currently attending SUNY Plattsburgh and majoring in Public Relations. I love being on TikTok in my free time (for multiple hours) and I've watched The Office too many times to count. I also eat pasta every day so you can say I have an obsession. I am currently the chapter leader for my campus and am excited to join the Her Campus community.