Why Is Everyone Obsessed With Manifesting and Does It Actually Work?

How many times in the past couple of years have you heard a friend say, “Manifest it” or, “Speak it into existence” when asking them for advice on accomplishing a life goal? Or perhaps you’ve gone down a #Manifesting rabbit hole on TikTok (just me?).

Manifestation—the idea of bringing something you want into existence through aspirational-thought practices—is nothing new: It has roots in the 19th-century New Thought spiritual movement, which included the belief that our thoughts can influence the material world and, essentially, that positive thinking is the answer to most of our earthly problems. This concept of manifesting your reality through thought (or the “law of attraction,” as it’s sometimes called) can also be traced back to ancient spiritual teachings, including Hindu ideas, about the unity of your mind, body, and the universe.

Recently, though, manifestation has seen a surge of interest. According to Google Trends, the search term “how to manifest” has steadily risen in the last five years, not to mention those viral “Shut up I’m manifesting” memes—that, as writer Rebecca Jennings put it in Vox, were “among the defining memes of 2020”—along with tons of self-proclaimed manifestation “experts” on TikTok. This increased popularity makes sense considering our experience of coping with a global pandemic for over two years, during which we’ve experienced a collective lack of control and, for many of us, plenty of extra time to reflect on what matters most to us. And the idea of willing positive change in our lives—and taking the necessary actions to make that happen—sounds pretty appealing in general, regardless of what’s going on in the world.

Manifesting sometimes gets a bad rap for being just “wishful thinking,” though, so we asked psychology experts if there’s possibly more to it than that. Here, they explain why concentrating on your goals can be motivating, plus how to potentially manifest something for yourself—in a healthy, practical way.

What is manifestation and why is everyone suddenly obsessed with it?

Manifestation as a self-help exercise refers to focusing your thoughts on a desired outcome—through practices like mindfulness, visualization, and meditation—in order to try to bring it into reality. Essentially, the idea is that you think your personal goals into existence.

“Manifestation is about creating a vision for the future, putting energy and intention into making that vision a reality, and then aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions accordingly so that your vision can come into fruition,” Denise Fournier, PhD, LMHC, a psychotherapist in Miami who specializes in mindfulness and personal development, tells SELF. “That process is the same one we go through whenever we work on ourselves, try to change our circumstances, or commit to reaching a personal goal. It involves intention, mindset, and directed action,” she adds.

So why the sudden interest in this thought experiment of sorts? Again, we’re living in some pretty Unprecedented Times. “Our sense of stability has been shaken up, and that can induce feelings of powerlessness and overwhelm. When things feel unstable or unpredictable, it can be tremendously comforting to believe that we have the power to think our way to better circumstances, or that forces beyond our control and understanding—whether that be a higher power or some other mystical energy—may be working in our favor,” says Dr. Fournier.

Aside from the control-over-your-destiny appeal, manifestation can also be a form of self-exploration, since it involves figuring out (and putting your attention on) what you really want in life. It’s similar to astrology and learning about your zodiac sign in that it may allow you to tap into your psyche and provide a framework for understanding your inner self. (Of course, there’s no concrete scientific evidence that being a Pisces makes you more sensitive, but astrology may offer an additional perspective on your possible personality traits.)

“In essence, self-exploration practices like manifestation, astrology, and meditation can help us hone in on ourselves and what matters to us,” Julia Bartz, LCSW, a therapist who has written about mindfulness and manifestation, tells SELF. “Most of us have been taught from an early age by our families and social institutions what we should find important. For example, we may have been conditioned to think that our main goals should be accumulating wealth, creating nuclear families, or even becoming famous.”

Whether through manifesting practices or otherwise, thinking about what you want in life may help you prioritize what’s actually important to you—whether that’s leaving a relationship that’s no longer working for you, say, or applying for a job in a field you’ve always felt passionate about. And in the context of today’s many unsettling realities—from the pandemic, to the war in Ukraine, to continuing racial injustice, to rapidly progressing climate change—it makes sense that you may be inspired to reflect on your values and priorities.

Does manifestation actually work?

If you look at manifesting from a goal-setting point of view, there’s definitely some validity to the concept.

In general, research has shown that positive thinking, one of the core concepts of manifestation, can be beneficial to your overall mental well-being—it can lead to lower instances of depression and better coping skills during stressful situations, according to the Mayo Clinic. On top of that, a positive, goal-oriented mindset may help you get closer to your objectives. For example, a 2017 study published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology found that when tennis players used a visualization exercise to imagine their goals of improving their performance and winning a match against their opponent, they were more successful than when they didn’t visualize those goals.

Sure, visualizing an objective—or writing down what you want—isn’t going to magically make your wish come true, Bartz says, but it may increase your odds of success by working similarly to a self-fulfilling prophecy. And there’s a 2016 review published in The Encyclopedia of Mental Health to back up the concept that your outlook on how a situation will play out (positive or negative) can influence the outcome. For example, the review references a study in which teachers started a school year with more positive expectations for certain students, viewing them as “late bloomers” likely to improve throughout the year. Compared to students for whom there were no expectations, the “late-bloomer” group saw greater performance improvements because, the researchers found, the teachers gave them more time and attention.

What’s not so legit about manifestation?

While it may get you into a positive mindset and help you focus on reaching your goals, the idea of manifestation can fail to acknowledge some of the systemic barriers to success in our society, Bartz points out. “For example, if you want to become an artist, you may feel discouraged that you’re getting constant rejections—but the fact of the matter is that our society doesn’t foster and support many of its artists,” she says.

The concept of manifesting your reality can be problematic at best for members of marginalized communities too. For example, the odds could be stacked against you to succeed in environments where the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color are not centered. “People may believe that the power to make things happen resides solely within them and their mental energy, but the reality is that there are systemic barriers for people who live with poverty, discrimination, and marginalization, that mere manifesting can’t make go away,” Hawlan Ng, PsyD, a psychotherapist and executive coach based in San Francisco, tells SELF. “Failing” at manifestation could lead to self-blame, and even guilt, among marginalized people—feelings that can be risk factors for anxiety and depression, adds Dr. Ng.

Besides being potentially exclusive and idealistic, other experts feel that manifesting could be leaning too hard on “magical thinking,” almost as a way to bypass dealing with your past and the present. Manifesting can be a tempting way for people to avoid past traumas or difficult situations, but it’s important for many people to come to terms with their pain first before focusing on the future, Dr. Ng says. One way to unpack all of this is to meet with a mental health professional before trying to manifest any new goals, if you’re able (here’s some advice for finding affordable mental health help). For example, if you’re attempting to manifest a healthy, long-term relationship, but you haven’t acknowledged and worked on healing the attachment trauma from your childhood, then you may not get very far in your manifestation goal without working through your buried feelings, says Bartz.

Manifesting can also be very focused on the end goal, but not enough on the actions it will require to get there. “Yes, the intention is important,” Dr. Fournier says, “but action is a necessary piece that can’t be taken out of the equation.” You are the conduit for making your aspirations happen, and you can do so by laying out exactly how you’re going to reach them, she says. Again, if that goal is a healthy relationship, the steps could include self-awareness of your own habits and tendencies in past relationships (maybe that’s a fear of intimacy or of vulnerability, Bartz points out) and how you could learn from them and grow moving forward.

How to manifest something in a practical way

Manifestation might not sit well with you, depending on your situation. And, again, looking into your metaphorical crystal ball and wishing for something to occur probably isn’t going to change your circumstances overnight. But if you’d like to give it a shot, there are some guidelines for trying the practice in a way that can support your mental well-being.

Keep in mind that there’s no exact right way to manifest, so your strategy can be whatever you want it to be, as long as it consistently includes inner reflection (to get clear on what you really want for your future) and practical actions (to help get you there), Bartz says. Some people may do a formal ritual of, say, lighting a candle and speaking a certain intention during a full moon, while others may incorporate these positive intentions into their daily meditation practice. It could even be taking a brief moment while journaling to write out a specific goal you set for yourself. Here are some expert-approved suggestions to get you started.

1. Acknowledge that manifesting isn’t the same as making a wish.

It’s not like blowing out the candles on your birthday cake. “Instead of thinking about manifesting as a form of magic, think of it as a practice of becoming aware of where your attention is going, noticing the nature and quality of your thoughts, and recognizing the power you have over your own internal experience and actions,” Dr. Fournier says. Going back to the healthy relationship example, this might look like being intentional about putting yourself out there by joining a group (anything from a book club to a softball league) where you could meet new people, rather than simply wishing and waiting for a significant other to one day show up at your doorstep. Being mindful of what your intentions are—and how you’ll get there—is a small way to make significant changes in your life, she adds.

2. Try speaking your goal out loud.

Speaking your goal out loud, even if it’s just a whisper to yourself (maybe every morning when you wake up), is one way to keep you focused on it and to ensure that it’s congruent with your self-reflection. For example, if you’re trying to manifest getting back together with a toxic ex, saying it out loud may be the gut check you need to realize that intention isn’t in line with your true desire to be in a loving relationship.

3. Write out your intention or set up calendar reminders.

The goals or milestones you’re hoping to reach should be top-of-mind, just like your to-do list and events on your calendar. Maybe this means you put your goals down on paper, either on a Post-it where you can see it daily, or in a journal if you want more privacy, Dr. Fournier suggests. You can also set calendar reminders (weekly, say) to prompt you to check in with your vision for even just 10 minutes—to think about the actions you’ve taken (or haven’t taken) toward achieving your goal, as a form of accountability. “Effective manifestation relies on us keeping the intention and vision consistently in focus so that we can align ourselves with it in our thoughts, emotions, and actions,” she reiterates.

4. Consider making it a meditation ritual.

Manifesting can be a spiritual practice on its own, if you choose to use it that way, but you can also incorporate it into a regular mindfulness practice. “Some people like to meditate and envision how they would be feeling after they’ve achieved their goal,” Bartz says. That’s one way of focusing your positive energy toward the reality you’re hoping for and the steps it’ll take to get there. (Here’s how to meditate if you have no idea where to start.)

She also recommends writing your goal on a candle (on the jar) in permanent marker—or simply thinking of a candle as a visual symbol of your goal—and lighting it every day as part of a morning meditation ritual. Will the candle magically burn all of your student debt to the ground or make your soulmate slide into your DMs? Maybe; maybe (probably) not. But, again, by keeping your goal at the forefront of your mind, you might be more likely to focus your thoughts and actions toward achieving it. (And at the very least, candles create a chill vibe.)

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