Dr. Slava Shut

When I say “manifestation,” what do you think of? Maybe you picture someone meditating, setting an intention; maybe you see someone creating a vision board; or maybe you see someone with crystals who seems a little…untethered from reality. Either way, manifestation has gotten a lot of good (and bad) press, but can it be useful? Let’s talk about it!

So, let’s start with the basics – what is manifestation? The word itself has two meanings I’m going to focus on:

1. An event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea.

And

2. A version or incarnation of something or someone.

So, people who participate in manifestation visualize, claim, or set their minds on a goal and attempt to actively will it to become a reality. And the concept has taken society by storm, it seems. It has sprouted businesses dedicated to help people manifest more clearly, sparked dreams, and inspired Pinterest boards everywhere. But are there pros and cons? I think so. Let’s go over them, and then I’ll let you in on where I fall.

CONS
Let’s start with some cons. While manifestation can be good, be sure to watch out for the following:

• Stopping at visualizing. If you only visualize or claim your intuition, but never actually make a game plan, you’ll stay stuck in stage one forever.
• Buying into it, literally. If you feel like you have to make purchases to give yourself “luck” or to “complete” your manifestation, you might be straying into scam territory. There’s nothing wrong with using items to help keep you focused or to attract energy, but if it’s something that doesn’t serve you, or promises you a complete end to all your problems, be wary.

PROS
Not everything about manifestation is bad, though! Consider some of these pros that can help keep you on the right track.

• It keeps you disciplined. If you’re constantly visualizing the thing you want, or claim that you’re on your way to achieving it, there’s a great opportunity to let that light a fire under you and propel you forward with consistency.
• It keeps you centered. The path to success will inevitably be rocky, but keeping your mind focused on what you want will help keep you afloat when it feels like things are going under.

But how do I feel about it? Well, I wholeheartedly believe that everything can have its usefulness. If it motivates you, can keep you on track, or can help keep you centered, then it’s useful to you. But if you find yourself actually using the act of manifestation to “put something out into the universe” and then leave it there, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. So if it works for you (and actually makes you work), go for it!

Do you practice manifestation? How do you make it work for you?