Is Manifestation Real and Does It Actually Work?

Co-authored by Jennifer McVey, Cht and Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 23, 2022 References

Manifestation refers to any practice where you try to make something come true by focusing your positive thoughts. But does it actually work? Is it real? Well, it kind of depends on what you mean by “real.” In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the power of manifestation.

Section 1 of 5:

What is manifestation?

It’s the idea that focusing on something can make it come true. The premise here is that the universe will give you what you ask for. People who manifest believe that by journaling, meditating, focusing, or speaking positive affirmations, they can make something come into reality. As Spiritual Life Coach Jennifer McVey explains, "We are all manifesting things already. Everything that you have, that you see, that is in your life you have already manifested. [...] Our awareness is to realize that we are powerful creators, spirits that are able to create their own lives. Tuning into that energy reminds us that this is what we're doing anyway." This might be something tangible, like a pet cat or money, or something more abstract, like true love.^{[1]
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- Manifestation is based on the laws of attraction from the 2006 book, The Secret, which claims that positive thoughts create positive events, and negative thoughts produce negative events.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 5:

Can manifestation make something come true?

Not directly, no, but it might help you achieve a goal. There is no concrete evidence that your beliefs or intentions can cause something to happen. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t benefits to manifestation, and it’s more than possible that manifestation can help you in indirect ways when it comes to getting what you want.^{[3]
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- Let’s say you want to manifest money. You might picture the money in your bank account, or meditate on how badly you want to get paid.
- The visualization and meditation will not cause money to show up on your doorstep the next day.
- However, if the meditation gives you the peace of mind you need to pursue the career you want, and the visualization keeps you focused on your prize, then the manifestation did work!

Section 3 of 5:

Do the laws of attraction work?

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Scientifically speaking, there’s no evidence for the laws of attraction. Many of the foundations of the laws of attraction are not true to begin with (i.e. “like always attracts like,” and thinking burns brain matter). On top of that, there is yet to be any kind of observable proof that thinking about something causes it to become true.^{[4]
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- There is evidence that positive thinking, visualization, meditation, and the other elements that go into manifestation can help you, but that doesn’t mean the laws of attraction are true.
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The fact that it may not be real doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it. If you believe in any kind of higher power, your religious beliefs allow for it, or you simply feel like the laws of attraction are real, then who’s to say it’s not true for you? It’s unlikely to cause any harm, and if you make the personal decision that it’s something worth trying, go for it!^{[5]
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Research source} Spiritual Life Coach Jennifer McVey suggests, "if you're a beginner and you have no idea what's going on, and you don't even know what [manifestation] is and might not even [believe in it], I would focus on a goal. Manifesting is goals, right? It's things that you want."
- This isn’t something people can realistically study or observe. If the laws of attraction work, we’d have no real way of knowing it.

Section 4 of 5:

Does manifestation do anything?

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It may improve your overall mental and emotional health. The most common forms of manifestation involve visualization, journaling, meditation, and positive affirmations. These practices are phenomenal for your mental and emotional wellbeing. They can reduce your stress, improve your mood, and actively increase the odds that you achieve your goals.^{[6]
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- If you have an anxiety disorder, depression, or obsessive compulsive disorder, manifestation probably isn’t right for you.^{[7]
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It might help you realign or identify your goals. Manifestation forces you to really focus on the things you truly want. Spiritual Life Coach Jennifer McVey suggests that you think about it like, "gifts that you would like to have, or even gifts that you would like to give. That can be emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, whatever." If you aren’t entirely sure what you want out of life, getting specific about what you want can be a valuable exercise. It’s possible that you stumble on something that you didn’t even realize you wanted in the first place!
- For example, if you start trying to manifest a new car, you may eventually realize that the thing you really want is freedom—not some vehicle. If you believe in the value of subconscious thought, this can be invaluable.
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It can enhance your attitude and keep you focused. Keeping your eyes on the thing you want most may improve your ability to work towards your goal. On top of that, positive thinking may improve your overall outlook. If you want to feel better about working towards your accomplishments, imagining it happening may radically help.^{[8]
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- Manifestation can also make you feel in charge of your own destiny. If you’re a naturally pessimistic person, manifestation may help you change that.^{[9]
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- Keep in mind, you do need to actively pursue your goals! Thinking about something alone is unlikely to have an impact when it comes to getting what you want.

Section 5 of 5:

Should I continue manifesting if it doesn’t work?

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If you find manifesting beneficial, you should 100% keep doing it. If you’re interested in manifestation and you get something out of it, why would you stop? You aren’t doing any harm by manifesting, and if it improves your emotional or mental health, it helps you clear your mind, or it makes you feel good, there’s no real reason to not give it a shot.^{[10]
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- The fact that manifestation doesn’t work exactly the way it supposedly does is not a good reason to stop. Spiderman isn’t real either, but that doesn’t mean watching Marvel movies can’t be relaxing!
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If you don’t get anything out of manifestation, go ahead and stop. If you’re getting frustrated that you keep spending all this time and energy trying to make something come true and it’s just not happening, you may want to stop. If you aren’t getting anything out of it, there’s no need to keep forcing it. It’s not right for everybody.^{[11]
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- Some people don’t like feeling like their thoughts have so much power. If you’re uncomfortable with the experience of manifestation, don’t push yourself to keep trying.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can you start manifesting?

Jennifer McVey, Cht
Spiritual Director
Jennifer McVey is a Spiritualist, Seer, and the Spiritual Director of Spiritual Answers and Solutions. With more than 22 years of experience, she specializes in manifesting, ghosts and spirit attachments, hypnotherapy, channeling, and spiritually based life coaching. Jennifer has also published 13 Affirmation Image and six Word Search Puzzle books in spirituality and self-help and has produced over 600 audio sessions.

Jennifer McVey, Cht

Spiritual Director

Expert Answer

Start out with a goal, and write down what you want. Date the page, then use specific, positive wording to write out what you want to manifest. Make sure you use present tense, since you're bringing it into your life now. It's best to write it out by hand to help raise your vibration.