The Dawn of Manifestation

features

THE DAWN OF MANiFESTATiON

words by: Phoebe Bowers design by: May Collins

Over lockdown, I think it’s safe to say that most people went a bit stir-crazy. We all started picking up random hobbies we had never previously shown any interest in or would have dreamt of doing in our previous day-to-day lives. From relentless baking and family hikes, to zoom quizzes and painting. Bored out of my mind, what did I take up? Tarot cards and manifestation. Some of you may be wondering, what actually is manifestation and does it work? Is ‘WitchTok’ to blame for the popularisation of manifestation amongst Gen Z? Can anyone actually practice it?

What is the Difference Between Manifestation and the ‘Law of Attraction’?

‘What’ manifestation actually is, is quite simple. ‘Manifestation’ is making something intangible, tangible. It is the belief that through positive concentration you can attract something you want that does not already exist. You are manifesting the physicality of whatever it is you want. Whereas, the ‘Law of Attraction’ is attracting something towards you in the world that already exists. If anything, manifestation seems to be harder work - and perhaps more closely aligned with ‘wishful thinking.’ But it seems that manifesting £1,000,000 physically in cash is not how manifestation works. It is not some form of telekinetic superpower. Manifestation

is instead about creating a certain circumstance or environment for yourself. It’s about making your goals more achievable through positive thinking.

What is the History of Manifestation?

The origins of the art of manifestation and the ‘Law of Attraction’ are not concrete, but for the most part it is agreed that they originate from ancient Eastern philosophies. Manifestation pops up in Buddhist thinking, Christianity, and Hinduism. Over the turn of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, manifestation again seems to weave itself into our literature. Without getting too entangled in the philosophy of our metaphysical reality, figures such as Michael Dummett and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in the modern era spearheaded arguments for manifestation in a Westernised sense, under the umbrella of anti-realist philosophy. In short, these figures doubted the independence of our perceptions from concrete objects or physical entities, meaning that our thoughts and our material reality are very much interconnected. Hence, our supposed ability to ‘manifest.’

Why the Sudden Urge of Interest - is it Tik Tok?

For sure, TikTok has certainly popularised manifestation, particularly with the ‘WitchTok’ sub-category of the app, where young adults appear to be lighting candles, purchasing crystals, practicing tarot spreads, or even manifesting a ‘femboy’

or Timothée Chalamet himself. TikTok has definitely played a part.

However, I can’t help but feel that manifestation becoming a ‘new trend’ is a reflection of the psyche of our generation. I think we desire control. We are a generation of young adults birthed into a world that is literally on fire in parts and drowning in others, and it wasn’t our doing. In the UK at least, we are a generation of young adults witnessing the aftermath of a referendum we didn’t even get to vote in, yet we will be the ones living in the said aftermath. Better yet, we are now living in a pandemic which some scientists have linked to the effects of deforestation and overpopulation. Now, we are being blamed for spreading the virus further.

I think our new dependence on having to manifest is a way of trying to feel or gain some form of control. This does not mean that I am discouraging this new desire to manifest. If manifestation can help people feel more confident in going out into the real world and changing it, by all means please do.

How Do You Practice It?

When practicing manifestation it seems that your intent must be pure. You should first and foremost focus on whatever it is that you want, but also assess why you want whatever it is for yourself. Once you have assessed your desires, from then on it is just a case of creating a positive mindset and environment for yourself. Get rid of any negative thoughts - mindfulness may be a good way to achieve this. If you feel that you don’t have the support you need to accomplish your goal, make sure that the people you are surrounded by in your day-to-day life do not have a negative impact on you. Once you are of clear mind, you can then begin to fully visualize your desired end result. Some people even go all the way and tap into their senses; they think about the tactile reality about what it is they want - remember manifestation is about your thoughts being interconnected to the material world. Once you have tried to manifest something, don’t keep thinking about it. From then on it is only a matter of time.

‘MANiFESTATiON CAN BE A POSiTiVE ADDiTiON TO ANYONE’S LiFE OR SELF-CARE ROUTiNE.’

Money

words by: Amy Louise Growing up atheist, I started looking into spiritualism after being gifted Tarot Cards, and stumbled upon the concept of manifesting through social media, particularly falling down the TikTok rabbit-hole. I’ve found that, whether you do or do not believe in the power of the universe, or in a higher-self, even just saying positive phrases out loud such as “I am Happy”, or “I am Beautiful”, can have a huge impact on your self-worth. For people looking for more materialistic results, I recently started a money-specific manifestation mantra, and I’ve found that since saying “I spend money wisely”, my bank account has been looking a little less stressed. While subscribing to the idea that there is a karmic force guiding you down the right path in life can be comforting, you don’t have to whole-heartedly believe to benefit from manifesting every once in a while. I think

Relationships

words by: Meg Evans I can happily say that I’ve had a huge turnaround in terms of what my idealisations were of being in a fully-fledged relationship. I tried so hard to find solace within myself so that I could enter a relationship without the fears I had already endured within my previous efforts. Once I started to feel good within myself and my own achievements, the initial build of a new budding relationship wasn’t as daunting as I had first thought. It was, in fact, very enjoyable. One day I decided ‘I need to love myself first’, which gave extremely positive results. It gave me an opportunity to reinvest my time better, so another person could love exactly what I never saw in the first place. This change has impacted me so much more than I could ever have thought. The fact that people around me have picked up on my positivity, shows that it has worked wonders.

Travel words by: Annabelle Ingram Only recently did I begin to properly explore manifestation. One of the first things I focused on was traveling to Australia; this is something that I have been dreaming about since Year 6. When reflecting on this, I realised that I had subconsciously been manifesting this for the past 7 years – before I even knew that manifestation and the law of attraction existed! I had concentrated my energy on visiting Australia for such a long time that I began to bring myself closer to actually getting there. When looking for universities I was consciously choosing options that offered international study abroad and had partner universities in Australia. Now that I am at Cardiff I have been nominated to go to the University of Sydney to complete my second semester of second year there! It may be dependent on current circumstances (namely a global pandemic), but regardless, I wholeheartedly believe that one day soon I will be living out one of my biggest dreams and manifestations!