Visualization, Manifestation & Other Magic Tricks
You may have heard about the Law of Attraction, or been briefly introduced to the concept of creative visualisation. Visualization works wonders. To what degree you are able to use the process of visualization to manifest results depends solely on your own resolve and your belief in the process. Olympic athletes use visualisation exercises to repeatedly rehearse their athletic performances in their minds before competing. Leading entrepreneurs and entertainers use creative visualisation to create subconscious maps and programs which aid in achieving optimal results in their respective ventures.
I’m going to explain to you the exact process by which you can intentionally manifest objects, circumstances and people into your life experience.
Now, regardless of whether your believe that you are the engineer and creator of your own reality or whether you don’t, is largely irrelevant to the bigger picture. The world isn’t going to collapse on itself and time isn’t going to stop ticking just because of you choosing not to believe in its inherent nature. What I am going to say is, most of us have nothing to lose by experimenting with the highly empowering concept that you can actually intentionally create something within your reality. So whether you believe or do not, if you choose to try out what I am about to teach you, treat it like a game. In the best case scenario you will have learned a new tool and walked away feeling like you’ve experienced something that can really shift your life into a whole new gear, and in the worst case scenario, I could congratulate you for shifting beyond your comfort zone and trying new things. An open mind willing to experiment with new and at times seemingly outlandish concepts is an essential ingredient in extraordinary living.
How Your Beliefs Create Your Reality
Everything material and non material in our world is made out of energy which vibrates at different frequencies. This has been proven time and time again by scientists and Nobel Prize winning physicists like Niels Bohr. Our outdated understanding of the Newtonian material universe has been replaced with an understanding that matter is an illusion. Quantum physicists have discovered that atoms are made up of cyclones of energy locked in constant movement. These cyclones each radiate a unique energy signature and we are beings made of trillions of atoms that at their core are nothing but rapidly rotating energy. Magnified to the max, atoms have no inherent physical structure! We are not made out of matter, we are made out of energy! What does that say about our general idea of how the world works? Perhaps it’s time to get used to the idea that since we are inherently energy beings, we have the innate ability to attract and repel everything that we come into contact with in our environment. To everyone who is still against the idea, shall I remind you that the whole world once believed that the earth was flat, or that people once believed that a lobotomy (drilling through the skull and severing the connections in the brain’s prefrontal lobe) was the most effective cure for schizophrenia, manic depression and bipolar disorder?
Look around you, do you notice that people tend to congregate in groups based on specific interests, likes or dislikes? Have you ever heard anyone say “I like your vibe”, or “that’s not my vibe”. Do you feel yourself drawn to some people and not others? Do you notice that when you are feeling sad, lost or angry that you are attracted to songs, films, and company that carries the same type of energy or on the flip side when you are feeling on top of the world, do you seem to be attracted to happier, brighter and more upbeat sounds and people?
Our world thrives on attraction, and for the most part so do we. We tend to draw in the kind of energy that we hold within ourselves as our primary focus. In other words, like attracts like. In order to cultivate an extraordinary life you need to become open to the idea that nothing in your life is accidental or merely there by chance. When you become comfortable with this concept, you can begin to learn how to recognize and choose what kind of energy you wish to draw into your life. Where it gets really fun is when you start using the power of conscious intention and visualization to manifest your desires into reality.
Think of yourself as a human magnet. The point of attraction of your particular magnet are the belief systems you hold within your mind. On the surface, this magnet seems quite easy to control. If you think happy thoughts and believe in your inherent wellbeing, these thoughts produce happy and positive emotions which charge your magnet to attract happy and positive people, things and events into your life. Where it gets tricky is, each single one of us has a set of conscious beliefs about what we like, don’t like and who we are, and a deeper set of subconscious beliefs about ourselves. Many of us hold these subconscious beliefs so far deep in the basement of our psyche and behind such thick armoured doors that we ourselves are not often aware of them. What ends up happening is, these belief systems serve as a deep anchored point of attraction for our inner magnet. For example, consciously you may believe that you are an attractive person and you may do everything in your power to amplify this belief, by carrying yourself a certain way, dressing a certain way and generally doing everything to behave like a person of value. However in your personal relationships this value is not reflected back to you. You get neglected, emotionally abused or constantly misunderstood. This may signal that there is a deep subconscious belief system that says “I am not enough”. Therefore your outer circumstances will always reflect to you that you are not enough, if this is the belief system you are unconsciously carrying within your mind. Our ego can often fool us, masking the lack of self worth by creating an environment around itself, comprised of material things and people it believes represent high value.
So, as much as we are told that we can be and attract anything we want into our lives, which is absolutely true, hardly anyone mentions the deep ‘shadow’ work that must be done to really understand the foundational belief systems that have run your life up to this point and to really zero in on the predominant relationship you have with yourself. You can only manifest what your subconscious mind believes in. Only after you do the work of cleaning up your subconscious beliefs about yourself and what you deserve, can you really begin to take advantage of the full power and magic of intentional manifestation.
All this being said, I am going to give you the formula for how you can intentionally manifest people, things and circumstances you want into your life. You can start using this formula now and it will still work in many areas of your life, even if you don’t do the deep diving into your subconscious. However, know that if you really want the big stuff, lasting peace, love and happiness, you must do the work. There are a multitude of amazing tools at your disposal to do some subconscious and conscious cleansing, including: meditation, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, books, workshops, personal coaches, meditation retreats and your own self introspection.
Let’s Start With Gratitude
Gratitude is the most potent key to unlocking your own happiness on the spot. We all have something to be grateful for, whether it be our health, family, friendships, career, home, or even something simple like being able to go outside and feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Gratitude is a state of mind. It needs no grand reason to exist. Just the willingness to experience it is enough to trigger big changes in your mood and consequently, your life. I have hit some pretty low lows in my life at times. When I could find nothing outside of myself that could take away my attention from the way I was feeling I would sit down, close my eyes and whisper ‘Thank you’. I’d keep on repeating it until I could continue the phrase. "Thank you ... for my life”, “Thank you for ... my family”, “Thank you for ... the fact that I am able to breathe”, and so on and so forth. I would sit and do a spoken meditation of sorts permeated with gratitude. I would list as many things as possible in my life off the top of my head that I was grateful for. As my mind would search for these people and things that I was grateful for, I would feel my mood gradually ascending out of the pits of despair. I would feel a subtle shift that would eventually as my practice progressed, turn into a wave of emotion, and feelings of deep gratitude. I would remind myself of all the things in my life I was so grateful for and shift my energy from a place of sadness and grief into a place of strength and hope. I have learned a practice to actively rebel against despair, and it works every single time. It’s a powerful practice, and I do it any time I slide off my happy horse.
Don’t be afraid to be generous in showing gratitude to others. The quickest way to elevate another human being is to show that they matter, that they are seen and that you value their presence or contribution in your life. Make a habit of uplifting others. Gratitude is the foundation for all good things that come into your life.
How Intentional Visualization Works
In order to consciously manifest something into your reality you must first and foremost believe that it is possible. The presence or absence of this belief dictates whether you will be able to attract anything or nothing at all. Most of us have been raised on the notion of ‘I have to see it to believe it’, but in order to live an extraordinary life with no limits you have to consciously choose to let go of this notion and understand that your beliefs are what shape your reality. Reverse the concept to “I have to believe in it, in order to see it”. Adapt a new perspective on life, ‘as within, so without’. In fact if we were always self aware and paid attention, we would see how our thought patterns, emotions and focus are constantly mirrored back to us through the outside world. Understand that the world doesn’t owe you the proof that you are the creator of your own reality, but it will show you over and over again that this is the case if you only stop to observe.
The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind
Your subconscious mind is your most important personal tool behind the process of intentional manifestation. Think of your subconscious mind as a vehicle. It follows direction and delivers performance based on the inputs you give it. If you turn the steering wheel right, the vehicle will turn right. If you slam on the brakes, the vehicle will suddenly stop, and based on how fast you were going you’re likely going to get whiplash. How the vehicle performs depends solely on the information your feed it. Now think of your conscious mind as the driver. Whatever the conscious mind focuses on, the subconscious mind absorbs and delivers every single time without fail. Your subconscious mind is where all of your predominant beliefs are stored. Did you know that most of these beliefs are programmed into your subconscious before the age of 7? Let’s delve a little bit into science and look at the types of brainwave frequencies a human being has available to them through at any given stage of their life.
What Are Brainwaves?
Our brains house billions of neurons that are all interconnected amongst one another. These neurons communicate through the exchange of tiny electrical currents which travel throughout enormous brain circuit networks. This activity produces electrical wave pulses, otherwise known as brainwaves. With modern tools available to scientists, this brainwave activity is strong enough to be detected outside of the brain and separated into five predominant categories: Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma waves.
Delta Waves
Between birth and 2 years old, the human brain functions primarily in the lowest brain-wave cycle, that is 1.5 to 4 cycles per second. These are called Delta waves, they are largely responsible for sleep and dreaming.
Theta Waves
Between the ages of 2 and 6 a child’s brain functions primarily in theta state. These wave frequencies measure 5 to 8 cycles per second and make a child highly receptive and susceptible to suggestion and outside programming. During adulthood, theta state is available to your brain during hypnosis or meditation. During early childhood, whatever self empowering or self detrimental beliefs you gather during this stage from your social circle: parents, caregivers, friends, daycare or school, will become the basis for your beliefs about yourself into adulthood. Because these beliefs will be stored in your subconscious, you will likely not be consciously aware of them unless you attend sessions with a trained hypnotherapist or a psychologist.
Alpha Waves
Between ages 5 to 8, the brain waves have changed into an alpha frequency, 9 to 14 cycles per second. This is the point at which the analytical mind begins to form. Children start to interpret and draw conclusions from their various environments. The imagination still remains quite active.
Beta Waves
From ages 8 to 12 and onwards, brain activity increases to anything between 15 and 40 cycles per second. The conscious, analytical brain begins to fully function.
Gamma Waves
Gamma waves are considered to be the waves of peak performance or “heightened perception”, responsible for processing multiple sources of information all at once and problem solving complex tasks. These have often been observed amongst people with a strong meditation practice, predominantly ‘Buddhist monks.
How To Intentionally Visualize And Manifest Anything
I decided to expand on what the different frequencies of brainwaves entail to give you a better understanding of when, how and why certain belief systems are programmed into your mind and tend to stay there until you consciously choose to address them. Many people discount practices like visualization or intentional manifestation as new age fluff, unsupported by science. This simply not true. If you are aware of and study all the tangible elements that go into practices like the one I am about to teach you, you will understand that nothing about your ability to create your own reality is farfetched or unsupported by science. Your conscious mind feeds information to your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind controls your conscious life. The brainwave frequency you are operating in, among other things, determines your ability to program or override belief systems, that your conscious mind will then take on as fact. Everything around you, including you, is made out of energy. Energy attracts or repels.
Now that we have briefly talked about brainwave frequencies and the function of your subconscious mind, I would like to get straight to the point and share with you my personal intentional visualization and manifestation practice.
Over the years I have studied and done countless experiments with this process. I have continuously tested it and have come up with the conclusion that it works and it works well. So let us begin.
A vast percentage of us are born on this planet with our five senses, although there are many people on this earth who may not have access to all of them. For the purpose of this formula I will use all of these five senses.
We Can: Hear. See. Smell. Taste. Touch.
Now what do these five senses have to do with visualization? They are in fact a key component in the process. If you wish to experiment with this technique, find a quiet place to sit where you will not be disturbed and where you can fully relax and dedicate yourself to the process.
Choose your sitting spot.
Be absolutely clear about what it is that you desire to manifest. Set an intention with this in mind.
Sit down, close your eyes and clear your mind (I realize that the clearing your mind part for many people is a challenge, and if it is, I would suggest that you try to do a few days of five to fifteen minute meditation in silence to practice this component).
Visualize in your mind what it is that you want. For the purpose of this exercise example let us imagine that you wish to visit Spain.
In your meditative state you may picture yourself sitting at a gorgeous outdoor patio in the middle of Barcelona, eating tapas and sipping on delicious wine. Now start engaging your five senses. What do you hear? Imagine people speaking Catalan, allow your mind to experience the taste of the wine and the tapas, smell the scent of the sweet oranges that are hanging out on the tree above the cafe, feel the texture of the tapas that you are about to put into your mouth and enjoy. How does it feel? Blissful? Amazing! You have just turned on all your senses and created a feeling, an imprint of a new reality which your brain now physically perceives to be true. Now as you turn on all your senses in your imagination, what will happen is your brain will switch to a new reality perception. Think of it as you consciously programming a dream. When you are dreaming at night, most often you are not aware that you are in fact dreaming. In this case also, if you surrender yourself and your senses to the visualization your brain won’t know the difference between reality and imagination in that very moment and that is what we are looking for. What happens within that moment is you create a belief imprint in your subconscious mind. And what does our subconscious mind do? It fulfills our beliefs about ourselves and our reality and finds a way to manifest them into our conscious awareness by guiding us within our physical reality. Within the vision your have just created, you have just laid the foundation of a very important belief - the belief that your desire is your current reality and that you are currently already enjoying having it. This is the exact feeling you are attempting to cultivate as you practice this visualization component. As soon as you have convinced your brain that you already have that which you desire by the virtue of feeling the bliss of already being one with the experience, you have activated the physical manifestation process.
This next step is crucial. You have to let go. Let me explain this. Most of us have no problems dreaming about or visualizing the things that we want. What we do have issues with, is believing that things will turn out as we would like them to. We start to question the process. What happens is, we will get really excited about a dream and in the same thought stream as thinking and picturing everything we desire, we will also give attention to doubt and fear that is standing in the way of us getting what we want. Imagine shooting an arrow at your target and intercepting it halfway through the shot before it has a chance to reach its target. Essentially what you are telling your subconscious mind is “i want this a lot, but i cant have it because ..”. And what your subconscious mind does, is it believes in and fulfills all your wishes without questioning them. So what you have to do is open your eyes to your current reality, and let go, forget about your desire, trust that your wish is granted and on its way to you. Don’t think about it, don’t wish for it again, don’t question it, because as soon as you do, you intercept the process and you may as well start over. This step is crucial and difficult for many to accomplish. Understandably so. While you are dreaming of and visualizing the bliss of vacationing in Spain, believing in the reality of that dream is easy, but once you open your eyes you are back in your current reality, thousands of miles away from Barcelona, and chances are you will naturally be drawn to the feelings of lack in regards to what you desire. Maintaining the feelings of bliss and detachment takes practice. This is why, if you start practicing on smaller non-significant objects and wishes, and observing the principles at work, it will eventually give you the required skill and confidence to manifest the big stuff.
This is where you go on with your life and allow the subject or the object of your vision to come to you. This step has absolutely nothing to do with any further work required in manifesting your desire and everything to do with just living your life with a positive outlook and gratitude in your heart. Detach yourself completely from the importance you place on the specific desire you are attempting to manifest. Make peace with life, with or without that which you desire, this is the only way it will manifest in your reality. Attachment stems from the feeling of lack, and the feeling of lack will abort the manifestation process. Find something to be grateful for. No matter where we are in our lives we all have something which makes our lives enjoyable. Focus on that. It will land you in a space where you will be open to receiving the things that you want. Watch for signs. You may not get on the plane to Spain the following day, but if you pay attention, little hints will appear that will signal that the physical manifestation is in progress. Using the example of visualizing a trip to Spain, you may come across Spanish food, language, signs, or overhear people speaking about Spain. These are all signs that the manifestation process is working. Learn to trust the flow.
I have been working with the above mentioned techniques for a few years now. If you have any questions or would like to further the discussion, follow me @thefearlessnomad and shoot me a message. I would love to talk to you!