There’s Nothing Supernatural about “Manifesting”

Post 41 – no magic, no hocus pocus

In my post “Manifesting and a Flawed Argument against It,” I shared a belief, held by millions, that we can manifest outcomes in our lives through a three-step process: have a clear vision of what you desire, act “as if” the desire has already occurred, and maintain positive thoughts about it.

Then, in “Adding Harmony to Manifesting,” I suggested it’s safer, more powerful, and more realistic to add a fourth step to the mix – desire the outcome “only if” it is harmonious with you and the world around you.  Doing so changes the essential nature of the practice. 

ENTER PAUL MUGWART

This past weekend, I ran into my friend, the Wisdom Catcher, Paul Mugwart.  He agreed with my statement last week that employing the three-step process by itself adds up to imposing our will on the world.  But when we add Harmony to the process, it changes the act to one of creating – or shall I say “co-creating” – circumstances. 

Paul took it one step further explaining that there’s nothing supernatural about this process.

BUILDING A HOUSE

Paul: Suppose you desire to live in a well-built house.  If you pursue this desire by physically building a house yourself, you need to comply with the laws of physics and physiology.  Metals and woods, gravity and leverage, muscles and biomechanics all work in certain ways.  Houses need to be built in harmony with the laws of physics.  And we need to use machines, tools, and our muscles according to the laws of physiology.  Most people can’t hold a 100-pound sanding machine above their heads to sand a ceiling. 

Spook:  So, what happens if we build the house in an inharmonious way?

Paul:  It falls down.  Or the roof leaks, or we break a machine, or we tear a muscle.  But, if you think about it, you really can’t defy physical laws.  If we cut corners when we build a house, and the house collapses, it’s still acting according to the laws of nature.

Spook:  So things we build stay together or fall apart according to how well we work with the laws of physics?

Paul: Yes.  Even if we don’t understand how a particular thing works, it still works according to the laws of nature.  For example, it’s important to make sure rainwater running off the roof ends up some distance away from the house.  If the water runs straight down instead, it could erode the ground next to the house, crack the foundation, leak into the basement, and cause mold.  This can happen whether you understand the process or not. 

Spook:  But, it does help to understand how things work.

Paul: Absolutely - even if you don’t understand why things work the way they do.  And it’s the same with what you call “manifesting.”

Spook:  Well, I don’t think “manifesting” is the best term.  I prefer “visualizing.”

MANIFESTING DREAMS

Paul:  Let’s look at that.  Suppose instead of building your own house, you try “manifesting” it – if I may use the term.  You have a clear vision of the house you want.  You act “as if” you already own the house, and you maintain positive thoughts about your dream coming true.  Now you need to work with the laws of nature that govern mental power.

Spook:  Ouch!  You’re going to scare my readers.

Paul:  Bear with me.  Thoughts do impact our lives, right?  If we “get real” about it, you know negative thoughts can lead to depression which can lead to diminished engagement with the world, which can lead to diminished awareness of our surroundings.  And that can lead to getting “broadsided” – literally by a car or figuratively in a relationship or otherwise.  Do you agree?

Spook: Yes, and the opposite happens when we maintain positive thoughts.  We feel better, we’re more alert to dangers and opportunities, and we’re more able to respond appropriately to them. 

Paul:  Yes.  And there is nothing supernatural about that.  We may not understand the mechanics of how our thoughts contribute to our circumstances.  But if we pay attention we can still see patterns in how things work.   

This is also true of what you call “manifesting.”  The three-step process can increase the chances that what we desire will come to be.

BUT!!!

If building a house without understanding the rainwater issue can result in a moldy basement, so can “manifesting” without understanding its consequences result in disaster. 

OUTCOMES vs. CIRCUMSTANCES

The Volvo you wrote about last week is a good example.  You had positive thoughts about it but didn’t understand that owning a Volvo with a manual choke was inharmonious with your personality.

Spook:  That’s right.  I explained this last week.

Paul:  Here’s what you did. You put positive thoughts into the THING – the car.  You desired the CAR, you acted as if you owned the CAR and you maintained positive thoughts about the CAR.  And then you got the car.  And you regretted it.

But what if you had put positive thoughts into CIRCUMSTANCES instead?  Suppose you desired to be in harmony with the “right” car.  Even if you started off desiring that Volvo, if you desired harmony more, I’ll bet you’d have started feeling “not right” about that Volvo because it wasn’t in harmony with your personality and circumstances. 

The more you favored harmony over the car, the more alert you’d become to these feelings – these “nudges.”  Perhaps your interest would have shifted from the Volvo to a different car. 

As a result, instead of a Volvo bringing disaster into your life, your desire for the “right” car could have brought harmony into your life.  

IT AIN’T MAGIC

Spook:  So there’s nothing magical about “manifesting.”

Paul:  Not at all.  It’s not supernatural.  It’s not hocus pocus.  It’s simply working with the laws of nature.  Except, few people take the time to learn how our thoughts impact our lives.

Keep the Flame Alive!