To think manifesting works?

It’s worth pointing out that manifestation is just a secular version of prayer.

No of course not. It's a load of nonsense, backed up with a heavy dose of confirmation bias.

You clearly cannot magic things into your life merely by thinking about them.

You are more likely to achieve what you want mby devoting time and effort into them.

As an interesting counterpoint to all the ‘be positive posts’ , there is some research that shows people who just spend time day dreaming about what they want are less likely to achieve it, those who are anxious about not achieving their goal are motivated to work towards it and henceforth achieve it.

You might be interested in reticular activation and the reticular activation system

The word just always reminds me of those starry eyed wannabees on X factor who bleat on about how much they WANT this and their nanna / mum / cousin in a montage talking about how they've "worked so hard" singing into a hairbrush since they were three and usually overcome some terrible tragedy or illness along the way.
There's a brilliant quote by the late Terry Pratchett..something like "if you believe in your dreams and wish on a star and follow your heart, you'll still get beaten by the person who got their head down and did some hard work.".

A friend gave me a book about it when I'd had recurrent miscarriages. Wonderful way of telling me that I just wasn't thinking positively enough about have a successful pregnancy.

It's ridiculous.
More snake oil for the terminally underconfident and daft enough to believe that thinking about something makes it happen
Manifestation should be kept in the world of ghosts and ghoulies where is belongs

*User623
“I think it's dangerous and can cause serious mental health issues in those prone to them (such as OCD, psychosis and delusions)”

m00nGirl:
Wow. A comment on how victim culture increasingly pathologises positivity, aspiration and achievement.
Thinking positively to help manifest carefully crafted personal goals is not in any remote sense "dangerous"*

I disagree with this reply, and agree with the poster who made the first point. While having goals and “thinking positively” is obviously a good thing, believing in manifestation can play into mental health issues - things won’t always go to plan, goals aren’t always realised (or even possible), and people end up blaming themselves for ‘not being positive enough’ rather than understanding that we simply can’t always get what we want and adjusting their expectations.
I’ve known people who believed they could ‘manifest’ things like a relationship with a specific person, or a lottery win, just by putting their energy into ‘visualising’, which can lead to obsessive thoughts and behaviour (along with self blame) that isn’t helpful to them.

As other posters have said, it works on a psychological level in that if you’re focused on a goal and believe you can achieve it your thoughts and actions will automatically align with that goal, which makes success much more likely (not guaranteed, but your chances are better).
Thinking that it’s all mystical ‘putting out energy into the universe/the universe will listen and eventually deliver’ could absolutely be dangerous for some people.

Was listening to someone talking about it on the radio and they were saying it primes your mind into narrowing down your thoughts to a goal, and so sets you thinking of the road to achieve that goal and so you are more likely to achieve it. I like that idea!!

100% it worked for me.

I manifested meeting my now fiance and my current job.

I think when you're in a good mood you notice good things, you act nicer, you smile more, you get treated nicer etc etc. And vice versa. Try it and see. I absolutely notice this in my own life. When I'm a miserable bitch, life is shit

Yep I agree!

@Angrymum22 it seems to me that you set yourself a goal, and then worked towards achieving it. Where did manifesting come into it?
Genuine question - it’s not something I know anything about.

I think as long as you manifest stuff that you are capable of achieving, legally and with hard work and dedication it probably does. It used to be called ambition. I’m afraid that most people are more interested in instant gratification or results without the hard work.

I dreamt/manifested being able to retire before 60 on a decent pension. Fully achieved but it took 35+ yrs of graft and at times sacrifice. So yes it does work but the act of manifestation is only the start. Screwing up your eyes and wishing hard, well that’s a total waste of time.

It could go either way, I guess. Perhaps manifesting could turn into daydreaming, in which a fantasy life is substituted for one's real imperfect life, while the daydreamer remains passive. But a more active form of manifesting which promotes a curiosity about how, concretely, one could actually achieve the fantasy in reality - now that could actually work.

And of course manifesting won't fix structural discrimination, wars, sickness, etc. It's a somewhat effective mind trick we play on ourselves, not actual sorcery.

It does make me laugh when books like Manifest by Roxie Nafousi become bestsellers.

She's a rich ex-Made in Chelsea cast member - all she needed was an idea and someone gave her the money to make it happen!

It's similar with famous entrepreneurs from wealthy families talking about the importance of "learning from your mistakes".

If you have a rich father bailing you out, then you have the luxury of learning from mistakes until something eventually works.

The average person, no matter how talented or driven they are, will never be able to reach that as they'd most likely be bankrupt from past "mistakes".

Not in the slightest. I know the good meaning behind it but I am also not so stupid that I'm blind to the harm misinformation and misunderstanding could cause. A bad practitioner of it is essentially telling someone to navel gaze and obsess.

Positive thinking, yes. Well, to an extent. Good stuff never seems to happen to me when I'm feeling moody or low. It's like I have to give out good vibes to attract it back, if that makes sense.
Manifestation, I don't think I believe in that, same as I don't believe in karma.

@User623 I think you're viewing "manifesting" as sorcery / magical thinking - that any quality of simple thinking of any goal equals success. Which is perhaps as useful as saying "abracadabra". I'm talking about the process of positive goal and intention-setting, which also comes with reflection, visualisation, planning and action, to help manifest your life goals, which is often referred to as "manifestation". There's lots you can read about different processes people use for it.

I put in the same bin as thinking having a positive attitude cured someone’s cancer. Does it bollocks. The corollary is blaming people for not wanting it enough 🙄

A negative attitude can have negative impacts, but that’s not the same thing.

Being alert to opportunities helps, but that’s not the same as manifesting either.

It's not negative thinking. Can you not see how being told to "focus on your goals" can turn into obsessional and compulsive thought patterns? That if you aren't achieving your goals the you're not manifesting hard enough? It you tell a vulnerable person they can manifest ANYTHING this can create delusional beliefs and make someone spiral. It is dangerous.

This, in a nutshell, is manifestation.

Yes I can see that but someone who practices thinking positively is less likely than someone who doesn't to be vulnerable to this kind of negative thinking.

Sometimes the reality is that, yes, we're not working hard enough towards our goals. Or, we've set the wrong goals for ourselves.

Sometimes we work our arses off for something and it's still not happening. But by thinking positively about it, visualising the steps towards it and visualising achieving the outcomes, you can in most circumstances get closer to what you want out of life than those who don't use their mental energy in this way.

I believe I’ve had good thing happen to me when I’ve really focussed on them and had a good positive vibe which I put out into the world and has come back to me. But I’m not sure I can 100% get on board with manifesting…… I couldn’t bring myself to explain manifesting to a homeless person or a dying child for example.

I think it can work in a self-fulfilling prophecy kind of way.

So someone who believes in it and wants, say, a new job or a promotion, will be more on the look out for opportunities, will maybe be more likely to go for those opportunities if they believe that it's "meant to be", will be more confident in an interview etc.