What is manifestation and how does it work? Manifestation sounds like an esoteric, woo-woo term… but it literally means to materialise or bring into being. I describe here the process of materialisation and how manifestation really works!
The word might give you the impression of some sort of magical force at work, which materialises something literally out of nothing.
This is both paradoxically not true and true, but what is at work is a process of materialisation, which is something that we don’t usually consciously observe, and this is what I wish to illuminate in this article.
The life you live depends on your thoughts about life.
Perspective – The Catalyst
This is a fact that most people don’t have in their conscious awareness. For example, whether you view death as the end of everything, complete annihilation, the prospect of heaven or hell, or believe in reincarnation, will affect how you live life. Since what you believe about what happens after this thing called life, determines consciously or unconsciously, what’s important to you and how you approach it. Related to this is another fundamental question, which is who you believe you are; what your identity is.
So your view of what life is, who you believe you are and how it works will affect what you do within it. It will determine your possibilities and choices.
This article is an attempt to see how things work in life, especially regarding, who we are and how we create our experience of it, to generate a map, which will help us navigate and stop bumping into walls we don’t see!
Outer Manifestation
Although, it might seem that way, our external circumstances are not arbitrary. They are in fact, a reflection of our inner world, and how this has been in the past.
Consciously creating/manifesting our reality involves recognising this mirror effect and taking responsibility for the external manifestations of our thoughts and emotions. By refining our inner content, we can begin to sculpt a more harmonious and fulfilling external reality.
Inner Content
The process of bringing something into being is in fact literally one of creating something from nothing, which works from the inside out, from the least dense expression to the most.
We do this all the time… consider the following example, you’re in the shower and a thought pops into your head, that you want to go to Japan on holiday.
The thought produces a positive emotional reaction in you which fuels more thought about the possibility. You begin to imagine this outcome in your mind, and so you find yourself expressing your desire to your partner, in the form of words, which in turn ignites their imagination. Soon in both of your inner experiences this possibility is forming. Through this inner experience and filter, you view the world, possibly noticing things Japanese wherever you go!
You start to take action to make your imagination manifest in your outer reality, by viewing flights and hotels etc. You take steps to book time off from work and very soon you find yourself on the plane to Japan.
First Thought
Everything is created first in thought, which is the least dense expression of something, an idea. This collects other thoughts, which are then expressed in the form of words, manifest in speech or writing, the first step, literally the bridge, to moving from the non-material to the material.
As ideas come out into the word, they being to take more form, gathering more momentum from the emotion evoked by thought, combining with other ideas often in the minds of others, inciting the imagination of possibility.
So you see, from literally nothing an idea comes, that gathers momentum, to make itself manifest in reality.
Note also, that the thoughts you have in your mind and the words you speak also have the effect of conditioning your future, in that, through this dialogue both inner and outer, you program your own subconscious mind and that of those around you.
Life is like a Dream
To understand how manifestation works, we must recognise that in many respects life is like a dream.
Just as we shape our dreams through subconscious thoughts, our waking reality responds to the patterns of our conscious mind. Embracing this perspective allows us to recognise the malleability of reality and the role our thoughts play in its creation.
Awareness
Most people’s identity revolves around their body and mind. That’s who they consider themselves to be, their self-concept. They believe that through this body / mind, they are conscious.
Yes, we are conscious, but I would go are far as to say we are Consciousness!
You are Consciousness that has a body and a mind. It is the more essential you. The ground in which the body and mind arise.
From this perspective it it easier to understand how manifestation works.
As Awareness or Consciousness, you are the space in which all of your experience occurs! Rather like a cinema movie screen on which the film is projected.
Check this out for yourself.
Right now you’re experiencing the world through your senses.
Do you notice the sounds, the sights, sensations in the body. Perhaps you are also aware of thoughts and emotions.
All this is happening within your awareness, otherwise you wouldn’t be aware of them! Whilst all this movement is occurring, there is a part of you that is unchanging, still, which observes it.
Meditation, for example, is state where you are consciously resting in that observer, coming back to it, to see your thoughts come and go, without being becoming identified with them. You are not your thoughts, essentially you are the space in which they occur.
So you are this unchanging space of Awareness in which life happens. It’s kind of like the Silence in which music is made, or the blank canvas on which you are, as Awareness, are painting.
Levels of Mind
Within the content of Awareness we have the what the buddhists call “sense impressions” which include the senses (sight, sounds, taste, touch, smell), as well as thought and emotion.
Above we explored the fact that all that we experience takes place within our Awareness / Consciousness and that we in fact create our realities through Thought.
But you might ask, where does thought come from?
There are 3 levels of Mind from which thoughts can arise:
- Conscious Mind:
The conscious mind is the part of your awareness that you actively experience and control.
It involves thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that you are currently aware of.
Conscious thoughts are often associated with immediate sensory experiences and the ongoing stream of awareness. - Subconscious Mind:
The subconscious mind operates below the level of conscious awareness influencing thoughts and behaviours without your direct awareness.
It holds a vast reservoir of memories, experiences, habits, learned behaviours, and automatic functions and responses to stimuli. It includes somatic (body) memory. - Superconscious Mind:
The term “superconscious” is often used in spiritual or metaphysical contexts and refers to a higher level of awareness or consciousness.
It may be associated with higher states of spiritual insight, intuition, or transcendent experiences.
The superconscious mind is thought to go beyond individual ego, connected to a collective or universal consciousness. It’s the part of us that is aware our oneness/unity, and knows our greater creative powers.
The Manifestation Mind Map – how manifestation works!
Below you can see a depiction of the key part in what I consider the process of how manifestation works.
Conscious Deliberation & Integration
For effective functioning, and conscious creation, there must be a harmonious integration of conscious, subconscious and superconscious processes, with the conscious mind involving in deliberate thought processes and decision-making, both the subconscious and superconscious levels, drawing on information from them.
Through the conscious mind we have the choice to listen to the programming of the subconscious mind and act upon it, reinforcing it, be it positive or negative, or additionally paying attention to the superconscious mind, which helps us forge new pathways.
Our lives are determined by the choices we make so in order to create consciously we must clear out the negative programming from our subconscious and tune into alignment to our holistic superconscious mind, which is aware of the depth of ourselves, our non-material nature and true creative powers.
We can do this by becoming conscious of our thoughts and emotions which arise from each level of mind and make choices which empower us and live up to the potential and vision of our higher selves.
Intuition & What to Manifest
Intuition, often described as the language of the soul, plays a pivotal role in manifestation. It serves as our inner compass, from our superconscious, guiding us towards desires that align with our true essence. Listening to our intuition helps us discern what to manifest, ensuring our aspirations resonate with our authentic deeper selves.
Action
Yes we need to act but also allow non-doing. Being in constant, incessant action, is a like speaking all the time and never taking the time to listen.
On the other hand, action is a powerful mechanism for creating. Taking bold action, gets us in the creative game, as it’s when where we will come across our subconscious blocks but also inspiration from the superconscious.
So, we require both action and non-action, to be in the flow of creation.
The Manifest
The manifest is what has already been created, which is obviously going to affect our current experience. For example, say we are over-weight. This influences the energy levels we have, the cravings we might experience and the types of thoughts that arise in our minds.
Although some momentum might have been built in material form, we always have the choice to move in another direction and determine our future path. And that turnaround can occur with one powerful thought, in the form of an insight.
Situations & Circumstance
The momentum of what is already manifest invariably comes to us in the form of situations and circumstances, which often look like they determine our reality. However, in actual fact, it is always our response to them which governs what we experience. And as such, the way we respond influences future circumstances. This cannot be denied.
Aligning Vibration to Soul
What’s key is to align the content of Awareness (our thoughts, emotions, sensations and actions) to our essential selves.
To do this, we can consciously pay attention to our superconscious through our intuition, which contains the blueprint of who we are.
By definition, if there is negative programming in our subconscious, we must clear it out to thrive fully and have a chance at effectively creating consciously.
In the modern day world, we have become quite disconnected from our bodies, with a lot of people spending most of their time lost in thought, however our subconscious and superconscious often communicate with us through our bodies, so it makes sense to listen to our bodies to discern what those levels of our consciousness are telling us.
Tools & Techniques for Alignment
Manifestation is both an art and a science, and various tools and techniques can aid us in aligning to our deeper selves and its desires.
Visualisation, techniques to program the subconscious, meditation/mindfulness, journaling, bodywork, work to unblock emotions and limiting beliefs, as well as gratitude practices are among the many tools that empower us to refine our internal landscape and direct the course of our reality.
If you’re serious about improving your capacity to create your reality consciously then apart from taking action towards what you desire, incorporating some of these practices into your daily life, so that you align your inner self to the outer manifestation, can be the key to unlocking progress towards achieving your goals.
Conclusion
Manifestation is an intricate dance between the mind (non-material) and matter (material), where our thoughts and intentions shape the unfolding story of our lives.
By embracing our awareness, aligning with our true selves, taking intentional action, and utilising some of the tools for alignment mentioned above, we can become conscious creators of our reality.
The evolutive process of existence beckons us to step into the role of architects of our destiny, mastering how manifestation works, to fully become our potential, bringing health, wealth, fulfilment and harmony to our lives.
And what’s more, by doing so, we also become a catalyst for a better story on this planet!
Photo by Nishant Jain on Unsplash
