Have you been trying to manifest your goals, only to feel stuck and frustrated? It is a common experience, but if you persevere it won’t be that way for long. Success my not be as far away as it seems.
In this article, I’ve compiled a checklist of things you must follow in manifestation. Go through the list, and check if you are missing a piece of the puzzle. But first, we need to be on the same page regarding how manifestation works.
How Manifestation Works
For manifestation to be effective, a fundamental change must occur within the subconscious mind. This principle is straightforward in theory, yet its application is more complex. The subconscious mind not only governs our individual behavior, but controls the conditions of our external reality — a fact which seems out there, but can nonetheless be proven by oneself. To manifest a desired outcome, one must implant the suggestion of one’s desire in the subconscious, making it a permanent state. From here, the subconscious will by its own powers produce that thing as external reality.
With that in mind, let’s move on to reasons as to why manifestation may not be working for you. Think of it as a checklist, and make sure you are following them all.
Reasons Why Manifestation May Not Be Working For You
Are you Doing Daily Practice?
As just mentioned, change — whether external or internal — occurs as a result of a changed state in the subconscious mind. The question becomes, how do we make such a change — how do we make a suggestion permanent? The answer is regular repetition.
Uprooting Existing Suggestions:
Your subconscious is clogged with spontaneous suggestions that have been accumulated and strengthened over a lifetime. These have led you to where you are now. When a new, desirable idea is suggested it will, therefore, be met with quite a bit of resistance from the old suggestions. The new suggestion is then cast out, and the person remains stuck in their old life.
Strengthening the Desired Suggestion:
It follows from this the suggestion needs to be sufficiently strong for it to have a permanent place in the subconscious. This is where repetition comes in.
Each succeeding manifestation session will energize the desired suggestion, amplifying its effect on the subconscious. If you perform your manifestation sessions (such as visualization, affirmations, or similar methods) only occasionally, the change made in the subconscious, if any change be made at all, is only temporary.
For one, repetition embeds the suggestion more firmly and makes it permanent. But it also modifies the subconscious — it powers the suggestion, so to speak — until the external manifestation perfectly matches your desire.
Illustrating the Power of Repetition:
As an example, if your goal is to be “wealthy,” merely suggesting “wealth” to the subconscious once in a while will not suffice. Upon the first session, you might find small, unexpected gains — like being handed $50 by a friend — which, while a result of your manifestation efforts, did not really capture what you meant when you thought “wealth.”
However, repetition will power the suggestion. It will keep modifying the subconscious until the new state attained completely matches the “wealth” that you so desired — and it will make it a permanent good rather than a temporary fluctuation.
Daily repetition is the foundation stone of success. Make sure you do it.
Do You Have a Hidden Doubt?
A little bit of doubt is only natural. But often, there is a strong sense of “unconscious doubt” that keeps canceling your manifestation efforts. Due to it being in the subconscious, a hidden saboteur like this will often go unnoticed. But it can be felt and it can be eradicated.
Identifying an Unconscious Doubt:
Unconscious doubt doesn’t always announce its presence, due to it existing subconsciously. It does however manifest as a subtle, nagging feeling that your efforts are in vain, or as a skepticism that creeps in despite your best intentions. It’s the inner voice that whispers, “This won’t work,” even if you really want to succeed.
The Effects of Unbelief:
Much like the nocebo effect, where negative expectations can lead to the nullification of an otherwise effective remedy, doubt similarly obstructs one’s manifestation efforts. On the one side we have the suggestion of our desire, but opposing this is the doubt that so often gets the better of us.
Deciding to Believe:
It may seem that beliefs are something that is out of our control, but they can to a surprisingly large extent be shaped by what you consciously choose to believe. Something like self-pity is very often a choice. It feels good, but it cultivates unbelief.
Decide that you will now believe, and not let doubts control you. This problem mostly goes away on its own after the first few successes, but it is that initial bump we want to get over.
The Importance of Open-Mindedness:
If believing is too hard, adopt an open-minded approach. Being open-minded doesn’t mean you abandon critical thinking or skepticism towards unfounded claims. Rather, it’s attempting to do that practice as properly intended, temporarily suspending your preconceived disbeliefs. Pretend you are conducting an experiment where you are both the scientist and the subject: you are observing the effects of manifestation in your life for the sake of curiosity. It is not personal, so your personal doubts do not matter.
Are You Doing the Technique Itself Correctly?
Perhaps you are doing the manifestation techniques or methods (i.e. visualization, affirmations, feeling as if, etc.) themselves incorrectly. No matter the technique, make sure to follow these three things:
- Relaxed mental state: The first step is always to go into an altered state of consciousness. This is not a mere convenience, but serves as a gateway of communication to the subconscious. It increases suggestibility. In any case of hypnosis (even waking hypnosis) the subject is always in an altered state, however slight it may seem.
- Least effort: Trying too hard to perform a visualization or an affirmation, produces an opposing force. Effort implies struggle; it gives the suggestion that there is a huge resistance up against you. The harder one tries, the more powerful the suggestion, and the stronger the opposing force. For reference, see “The Law of Reversed Effort.”
- Concentration: One must be so completely permeated by the thing visualized or affirmed, that one forgets all other thoughts. The altered state of consciousness favors this.
Following these are the essence of any technique. If you are already struggling with manifestation, you are perhaps filled with unbelief, and you likely hold a sense of strain and frustration when visualizing or affirming. In this case, pay special attention to the law of reversed effort. Also, make sure not to let doubt interfere during the session. An affirmation, for instance, must be said with confidence. It will have no effect if you in the same breath think “This doesn’t work.”
Are You Trying to “Will” Things Into Being?
I will admit that this is a strange one, but it is, nontheless, a common pitfall.
Do not use conscious willpower in an attempt to force a manifestation. One often begins to use force because they are desperate in the attainment of their goal, and want to make sure that they are doing it correctly. Unfortunately, this desperate attitude more often than not makes manifestation an act of the conscious willpower. It is exhausting and it produces no results.
What we really want is for the subconscious to undertake our task. Though it is difficult to let go of control, that is exactly what we must endeavour to do. We want the subconscious to do its work undisturbed, without our conscious interference bringing in suggestions of a contrary nature.
Do not try to control the “how” — the means through which your manifestation will appear. Let things unfold on their own.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t think at all, but one must always remember that manifestation is not an act of conscious will. This is not an attack on these faculties; it is ensuring that our mental constitution is in the right order so that each function does what it is meant to do.
Are You Getting Discouraged By Circumstances?
Trusting that your desires will manifest despite contrary external circumstances is often the toughest part of the process. It’s easy to feel stuck when there seems to be no visible hope of getting out.
External vs. Internal Reality:
Remember, your current reality, or “circumstances,” are the result of what happens in the subconscious. They are effects, not causes. Manifestation unfolds from within, from the deeper creative power of your subconscious mind, not from the outward appearances that surround you. The external world, much like a shadow, changes form when the “inner objects” casting it change.
Why Circumstances Shouldn’t Deter You:
- Your present situation is just a temporary state, subject to change as your inner beliefs and attitudes evolve.
- The true causative force of your life lies in your subconscious mind. When you turn your focus inward, do so with the understanding that external circumstances are merely a reflection that will change over time.
- Relying on or reacting to your current circumstances makes you stand and fall with them. If things go bad, then what? You have no point of support if it is not within yourself.
Let the Subconscious Do Its Work:
Stop seeking confirmation of your progress from your current circumstances. They are indicators of your past thoughts and beliefs. You cannot control them directly, but they will change once a change is made in the subconscious.
Going Further Than Faith Can Bear
Belief is obviously an important component in manifestation. It is important, therefore, not to go further than one’s faith can bear — to go for something that you do not really believe you can achieve.
Success Builds Faith:
Success in manifestation, no matter the scale, will increase your faith in it. This starts the gradual progression of setting and achieving more and more ambitious goals.
If you feel stuck, I would advise you to go for ego-strengthening goals. Goals like “more happiness” or “more confidence” are often easier to believe for beginners, because we are accustomed to the perception that thought cannot influence something outside of individual selves.
Conclusion
Manifestation is the development of a hitherto unknown power within you. It’s not a shortcut to achieving specific outcomes as much as it is learning to wield the powers of your subconscious mind.
Though it sounds boring, manifestation is not at all a quick-fix solution as some would have you believe. It comes from consistent practice, trial and error, and familiarity with the workings of one’s mind.
If you are struggling with manifestation, remember that the path to success lies with perseverance and practice. Start small, build your successes. Each step will take you closer to mastery.
As you keep going:
- Take time each day for your manifestation practice, be it through visualization or affirmations. Make sure to conscientiously stick with daily practice.
- If you find it too difficult to believe that thought can influence something outside of yourself, go for an ego-strengthening goal. This will train you, and boost your faith.
- Stay flexible and open to adjusting your methods and goals as you discover what works best for you.
I hope you found this article helpful. Feel free to share your experiences or send any feedback. I will answer anything. Thanks for reading.
