I bought a copy of Rhonda Byrne's The Secret three years ago, and completely forgot about it. The book resurfaced in my memory when I read an article where Megan Fox said she "manifested" Machine Gun Kelly, her fiancé. I found it staring at me, dust covered and all, sitting on the third ledge of my bookshelf. It looked like something I would never even touch, let alone read.

Now, naturally, I went through a spell of self-castigation for buying a book that didn't quite suit my taste. So, to atone for this act of mine, I picked up the abject thing and decided to give it a read. At first gander, the book seemed nothing but an attention seeking collection of nonsensical expressions. However, it is regarded with a staggering level of appreciation and approbation by a certain cohort among the readers – those who believe in the art of manifestation. Also, the insurmountable amount of content related to this phenomenon made me want to study it further.

As it were, this art of manifestation, otherwise known as the law of attraction, has its own set of rituals. There are incenses to be burned, candles to be lit, and "angel numbers" (e.g. 777, 1111) to be trusted. Not to be confused with witchcraft, this art solely focuses on "making the universe give you what you want." Numerous people on the internet proffer (with heartfelt conviction) that money, success, and even romantic partners, that were rightfully theirs, came to them through manifestation.

Various techniques are there to come to your assistance if you are willing to give manifestation a try. Your desired object can be called for from the universe through positive affirmations, specifically in the present tense.

Similarly, scripting is also a quite widely employed method where you write down what you want, again, in present tense. The tenet intrinsic to manifesting asserts that what you desire is already yours, you just have to claim it from the universe. Without a doubt, such an act would raise incredulous eyebrows. But there are elements of the psyche playing in the background which corroborate that manifesting isn't wholly folly, even science has its explanations for why manifesting works.

Science tells us that manifesting can bring forth results because it makes us adopt a growth mindset hemmed with a positive attitude. Manifestation requires us to not just set a goal and look for windfalls along the way, rather, it pushes us to participate in activities and thoughts that are aligned with our goal.

It whets the subconscious to eliminate negativity bias, and so, confidence spirals upwards as the mind enjoys calmness. The art of manifestation provides a sense of direction, hence, the feelings of "being lost" and "I am not good enough" eventually fade away. When it comes to chanting positive affirmations in building a healthy self-image, a little goes a long way. After a while, we start believing in them. All in all, manifestation is… kind of cool. 

Reference:

1. Psychology Today (September 15, 2020). What Is Manifestation? Science-Based Ways to Manifest

Mastura believes Hozier himself is a balladic masterpiece. Tell her you agree at choudhurymasturamahbub@gmail.com