Manifestation and the Law of Attraction

Manifestation and the Law of Attraction are really big buzz words right now. To some, it seems like the most placebo effect concept one could ever think of. And I guess, in a way, you could look at it like that. In case you aren’t familiar with what manifestation or LOA is, here are some baseline definitions for you:

• Manifestation: the expression of desire to bring something into your life
• Law of Attraction: by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, people can bring positive or negative experiences into their life

To summarize, the Law of Attraction is the philosophy that if you think positively, positive things will come to you, and manifestation is the avenue to achieving that. Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that if you say to yourself “I want a red Ferrari” every day that it’s just going to come to you. But first, let’s dive into the placebo aspect a little deeper. 

For those that don’t know, the placebo effect is often used in medical situations, where a perceived improvement is felt by the patient after they are given medication that doesn’t actually do anything. It is often looked at as a negative thing, but I disagree. It shows us that our beliefs are so powerful. Therefore, believing that you will achieve something will make you more likely to take steps to achieve that goal, whether you are consciously aware of these steps or not. 

This also relates to self-fulfilling prophecies. Our expectations, whether they are positive or negative, tend to be confirmed. For example, if you think there’s no way you are going to get your dream job, you’re more likely to take steps that would get you farther away from that goal, like slopping through your cover letter or acting indifferent in the interview. However, if you believe that you will get the job and that you deserve it, your actions will be more reflective of your confidence in your future success. Maybe you’ll make some prior connections at the company before the interview, or do more research to really impress the hiring manager.

Scientifically, the concepts of manifestation and LOA make sense as well. The entire universe is energy vibrating at different frequencies, including the energy in us. When you want to attract something, it comes easier when you match the energy frequencies through your mind, body, and spirit. This concept is often explained by the phrase “like attracts like.” Basically, when you put out a certain frequency of energy (happy emotions create a higher frequency, and sad emotions create a lower frequency), you are more likely to attract that same frequency around you. 

Another way this can be explained is mirror neurons. These are neurons in the brain that tend to adopt the behavior we observe. For example, if you are emitting those high frequency, happy emotions, people around you will observe that. The mirror neurons in their brain will mimic those happy behaviors. This means, when you continuously keep a positive attitude, you will slowly start to surround yourself with positive people as well.

If you are more of a visual person, here’s a TedTalk I found really helpful when doing research for this article! I think it lays out the whole concept in simple terms and is a great way to learn more about this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vZmOF11P9A   Our life is in our hands. I know this might seem like a lot, but even just incorporating positive self-talk into your daily routine can help you attract the life you’ve always dreamed of. 

• law of attraction
• manifestation