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The mystery and science behind the law of attraction.

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Transformational coach leveraging science & ancient wisdom to help people manifest their greatness.  Blue Dot Transform Consulting

I fondly remember my graduation day, which was on the 25th of April. The master of ceremonies was going to announce the name of the student who bagged the title of best all-rounder for the postgraduate class of 2010. The award also entailed a cash prize worth $1,500.

I was hopeful of winning the title as I had worked tirelessly and visualized the entire scenario several times. "Mental rehearsal," as scientists call it, is something that performers do quite often before a performance. Here, I was not going to perform something, but I was strongly intending to create an event that my mind had conceived. 

Lo and behold, my crazy thought manifested. As I went up to the stage and received the award, I was reliving each and every moment that I had once crafted in my mind. This event left a deep mark on my consciousness, and getting to its root became a lifelong quest for me.

I first came across the idea of manifestation in the book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy. It was a radical idea for a novice like me that our subconscious mind has the ability to create things that it envisions. Later on, my introduction to The Secret by Rhonda Bryne, the deep ancient wisdom and astounding experience of pranic healing, and the work of visionaries like Dr. Bruce Lipton, Joe Dispenza and Paramahansa Yogananda brought a complete shift in my thinking. I found purpose in helping people and organizations apply this simple yet powerful concept.

The concept of the Law of Attraction is fundamentally an ancient concept embedded in universal laws. It asserts that our life is our own creation. We, as a consciousness, have the ability to influence and create our life events. Many of us have already experienced the manifestation of something that we imagined. Almost all major religions talk about this concept in one form or another. 

Quantum physics offers a probable explanation for the feasibility of this law. One of the founding fathers of quantum physics and Nobel Prize winner Max Planck once said , "As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clearheaded science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about the atoms this much: There is no matter as such! All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particles of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together... We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter."

This infinite and intelligent mind is the entity our ancestors referred to as infinite consciousness . It's believed that we, being part of the infinite and powerful consciousness, have the ability to influence matter and fulfill our desires. This revelation is proved by various research studies conducted on prayer, which is a powerful tool for manifestation. In one study, women who had been prayed for had nearly twice the rate of pregnancy as those who were not prayed for. Another study conducted on 22 bush babies states that the animals who were prayed for had a greater improvement in wound size versus those who weren't prayed for. 

Another study conducted by French researcher René Peoc'h had an interesting outcome. The experiment involved a self-propelled robot that normally wandered aimlessly and randomly around a room. When a cage filled with live chicks was brought in, the chicks imprinted on the robot as if it was their mother, and the robot started spending more time in the area that was closer to the chicks. Peoc'h concluded that the intention of the chicks to stay close to the robot (their perceived mother) manifested dramatic change in the robot's movements. 

Let's have a look at some simple ways in which we can practice this powerful concept to see changes in our life:

1. Get clarity on your outcome. This step is like the base of a building: Without it, nothing stands tall. You need to be crystal clear about the outcome you seek and the intention behind it. There shouldn't be any vague idea about it in your mind. An image in the mind must represent your outcome.

2. Get in a gratitude state. "GIGS," as I call it, is all about tapping the power of gratitude. Gratitude is an energy amplifier. It puts us in a powerful manifestation state. The key is to practice gratitude for events and things you are truly grateful for. Spare 10 minutes each day to journal about them.

3. Visualize.  Once you have a clear intention and feel grateful, start visualizing the outcome. The steps should be followed seamlessly. Visualization should be so realistic that you should feel like the event is being lived by you in that moment itself and you feel the emotional and mental intensity of its occurrence. If you can recall a fearful thought and feel the fear, you can also recall a beautiful experience and feel good.

4. Surrender. Come hell or high water, you must surrender. You must surrender the outcome to a greater intelligence. This helps you detach. Hence, you won't generate fear or doubt in the process. Faith moves mountains.

These are four simple steps to manifest anything in life. Practice them religiously, and master them like any other skill.

Einstein said, "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." It's time to imagine.

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In 1983, The CIA Wrote A Bizarre Report About Transcending Spacetime With Your Mind

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Remember, kids: the part encodes the whole. Image credit: Zelenov Iurii/Shutterstock.com

Back in 1983, the CIA wrote an obscure report looking to the "Gateway Experience," claiming that an altered state of human consciousness may be able to transcend space and time. Decades on, the document has since been declassified and is now experiencing a resurgence on social media.  However, despite what you saw on TikTok and YouTube, the document doesn’t provide proof of the “Law of Attraction,” nor does it reveal the benefits of sending “good vibes” out to the universe.

The 29-page document – titled " Analysis and Assessment of the Gateway Process "  – was declassified in 2003. It’s thought the report was part of the CIA’s wider investigation into whether concepts of mind control and hypnosis could be used in the espionage efforts of the Cold War.  It’s an intensely wordy and dense report that touches on everything from neuroscience to quantum mechanics, wavering between hard science and pseudoscience as if wobbling between the two on a tightrope. It essentially boils down to the CIA investigating the idea of inducing a profound out-of-body experience that could possibly tune into some kind of higher realm beyond reality. 

“Fundamentally, the Gateway experience is a training system designed to bring enhanced strength, focus and coherence to the amplitude and frequency of brainwave output between the left and right hemispheres so as to alter consciousness, moving it outside the physical sphere so as to ultimately escape even the restrictions of time and space,” the report reads. 

The technique, called the Gateway Process, is based on ideas developed by the Monroe Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on the exploration of human consciousness. The theory is that certain exercises can allow the brain to “hemi-sync”, whereby brain waves in the right and left hemispheres synchronize at the same frequency and amplitude. Hemi-sync, the report argues, can be achieved through a series of meditation-like exercises while listening to a set bunch of soundwaves, known as the Gateway Tapes.

As per the report, the universe is a complex system of “interacting energy fields” in which states are simply variations in energy. Human consciousness is no different, it’s just a vibrational pattern of energy. Once hemi-sync is achieved, the report says, it can trigger an altered state of consciousness in which the vibration of a person’s consciousness is free from physical reality and tunes into this pure energy field. 

Drawing on ideas of quantum entanglement, the report claims it may be possible for human consciousness to profoundly alter the universe since reality is holographic projection; the part encodes the whole. In this understanding of reality, everything is deeply connected in a matrix of interconnected energy vibrations, from your consciousness to the depths of the universe. 

"This consciousness participates in the all-knowing infinite continuum of consciousness which is a characteristic of energy in the ever present," continues the report. "Consequently, it is accurate to observe that when a person experiences the out-of-body state he is, in fact, projecting that eternal spark of consciousness and memory which constitutes the ultimate source of his identity to let it play in and learn from dimensions both inside and outside the time-space world in which his physical component currently enjoys a short period of reality."

Some readers of the report have dug into this idea deeper and taken it as proof of the law of attraction – the philosophy that positive thoughts bring positive results into a person's life, while negative thoughts bring negative outcomes. 

So, what to make of all this? No doubt, the document makes for an interesting read, but it shouldn’t be treated as scientific, despite the scientific language and concept it draws influence on. Many of the ideas in the report are drawn from real scientific research, but when pieced all together, they aren’t testable. There's also a lot of questionable theories and leaps of logic chucked into the mix.

But hey, don’t let us stop you on your journey to the realm beyond this reality.

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Law of Attraction: What Does Science Say About This Theory?

Learn the ins and outs of what the Law of Attraction is, how to apply it, and get to the bottom of what science says about this metaphysical philosophy.

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Have you ever wondered if your thoughts and intentions affect what happens to you? Or if you ask the “Universe” to help you with something if this works? You might have heard of the term the Law of Attraction. This philosophy would declare that you can ask for what you want from a more significant, universal intelligence and get it.

In this post, we’ll explore what the Law of Attraction philosophy says and how to implement it in your life, and then we’ll evaluate this worldview from a scientific perspective.

What is the Law of Attraction?

The Law of Attraction (or LoA) says that the more you think, manifest, and talk about something you want, the more likely you will get it. , It is based on the idea that like attracts like. It says that our thoughts and feelings, either positive or negative, have a magnetic pull and attract similar experiences.

This philosophy suggests that your circumstances—income, community, physical health, and relationships—reflect your internal world. The idea is that you possess a web of underlying beliefs and feelings, and they are of a certain “vibration.” And that vibration attracts circumstances and opportunities of a similar beat. 

To be clear, this philosophy still needs to be supported by the scientific community. But we’ll get into that later in the article.

What is manifesting?

When people use the word “manifest,” they intentionally adjust their inner thoughts and feelings to attract a particular circumstance or thing into their lives. 

For example, let’s say you want a job at your dream company. And so you envision yourself at that job, living out that life. You notice what beliefs that version of you who has that job would hold and how they would feel. And then, you work to ingrain and embody those beliefs and feelings. Once you fully calibrate your vibration to the reality where you have that job, the job (or something like it) will naturally come to you.

How to Use the Law of Attraction as a Tool for Personal Development

Here are a few Law of Attraction tools below. According to the philosophy, these tools work best when practiced together, when you are not attached to the outcome, and when used consistently over time.

Gratitude practice

Gratitude in the Law of Attraction context involves expressing appreciation for what you currently have in your life. Over time, this practice can help cultivate a more positive and abundant mindset.

Action Step: Go through the following steps. Try it out once. However, if you want to practice the Law of Attraction, it’d probably be advisable to practice each of these steps for a more extended time.

• Write down one thing you’re grateful for about your life circumstances
• Write down one thing about your body that you are thankful for
• Write down one relationship you are grateful for
• Think of 1 challenging event or hardship in your life, and see if you can find one thing about it that you are grateful for
• Go through each item in your list, and take a few seconds to feel the gratitude.
• Then, take a moment to feel grateful simply for being alive.

If you’d like to explore the idea of a gratitude journal more, you might enjoy this post.

Create a vision board.

The following Law of Attraction step is to get clear on what you want and visualize it.

Vision boards are one classic tool for this step. They can be physical or digital displays of images and words that represent the outcomes you desire. 

Creating a vision board can help you clarify your goals, and regularly viewing the board can help reinforce your desires and intentions.

Action Step: Create a vision board! Either on Pinterest or on a physical whiteboard. 

• Get in the right mindset. See if you can come to this activity from a place of optimism and confidence. 
• Make a list of all of your goals—anything you want to accomplish in the next year. Be specific!
• For a digital board, gather images online that speak to your desire somehow. And for a physical board, find pictures on Google or in magazines. Pick images that inspire you, not images you feel like you “should” put. 
• You can also write out words and phrases on your board.

It doesn’t have to look pretty. It just has to mean something to you!

Here’s a guide for more instruction on building a vision board.

Positive affirmations

Positive affirmations are concise statements you repeat to yourself, intended to foster a positive mindset and influence your subconscious mind. 

Ideally, a positive affirmation will reprogram your limiting belief about yourself into a belief that empowers you.

Action Step: Think of the three things you want most for yourself, whether feelings, circumstances, or opportunities.

Then, turn each of those things into a present tense statement.

For example, if you want a partner, you might write: “I have a beautiful and healthy relationship with a loving partner.”

Or, if you want to feel more abundant, you might write: “I feel abundant, generous, and like I always have energy to give.”

Once you write down your three statements, try reading each one slowly and thoroughly, feeling each statement as you read it. 

Like the gratitude practice, according to the Law of Attraction philosophy, the more often you take on this practice, the more effective it will be.

If you’d like inspiration on coming up with affirmations, here’s a helpful list.

Chunk your goals

While the Law of Attraction places a significant emphasis on mental and emotional alignment, pairing these with material efforts is equally important.

This means that while you’re visualizing and affirming your desired outcomes, you should also set clear goals, plan, and take tangible steps toward those outcomes. 

For instance, if you’re seeking a new job, alongside visualizing success, ensure you’re also updating your resume, applying to relevant positions, and preparing for potential interviews.

Action Step: For one of the goals on your vision board, break that goal down into smaller chunks that you could accomplish. Then, make an action plan for the first chunk and execute it!

For example, if your goal is to build an email list of 1,000 subscribers, the first chunk might be creating an email list of 10 subscribers. Your action plan is to reach out to your family and social media friends to invite them to your newsletter. Then take action on that idea!

If you’d like support choosing the best goals for yourself, you’ll love this free guide:

How To Set Better Goals Using Science

Do you set the same goals over and over again? If you’re not achieving your goals – it’s not your fault! Let me show you the science-based goal-setting framework to help you achieve your biggest goals.

Fundamental Principles of the Law of Attraction

In addition to gratitude, visioning, affirmations, and goal-chunking, let’s dive deeper into some underlying principles.

Thoughts are things

This principle suggests that our thoughts are more than just mental activity. They are considered energetic entities that vibrate at specific frequencies, capable of attracting similar frequencies. 

In simple terms, positive thoughts attract positive experiences, and negative thoughts attract negative experiences. The idea is that “like attracts like.” So, your life circumstances will match and reflect the quality of your thoughts.

Emotional alignment

Thoughts alone are not enough. The Law of Attraction also suggests that feeling the emotions of your desired reality is important.

For example, let’s say you want a new circle of friends. The Law of Attraction might recommend that you imagine sitting around a campfire, sharing vulnerably with friends. And then you imagine what that feels like. 

Do you feel peace? Connection? Gratitude? Joy?

Then, you link those feelings with the thoughts and images you are trying to manifest.

Take action

While the Law of Attraction emphasizes mental and emotional processes, it doesn’t neglect the role of action. This principle states that you must also take relevant, guided actions toward your desires.

The aligned thoughts and feelings create the vibrational alignment of what you want, and your actions pull it towards you.

Nature abhors a vacuum.

This principle implies that making space in your life—both physically and emotionally—creates a void that the universe will seek to fill, ideally with the new experiences and circumstances you desire.

So, if you let go of a job, friend, or opportunity that isn’t a “vibrational match,” you are creating space for a better match to come to you.

The present is perfect (abundance mindset)

The Law of Attraction encourages an appreciation for the present moment and promotes an abundance mindset. It emphasizes the belief that there are ample resources and opportunities for everyone and that you are always cared for and have more than enough. 

The idea is that needy energy pushes things away. For example, if you are broke and clingy towards a potential romantic partner, they will avoid you. Similarly, according to this philosophy, they will prevent you if you are needy towards your life desires.

The best way to become non-clingy is to become content, grateful, and at peace with your life as it is now, in this exact moment. If you don’t need anything now, you can want things without needing them, and that mentality will more likely attract those things into your life.

Work through limiting beliefs.

As the term suggests, limiting beliefs are deeply ingrained beliefs or perceptions about ourselves and the world around us that limit our potential.

These might include beliefs like “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t deserve success,” or “I can’t achieve my dreams.” 

We each create about 50,000 thoughts daily 1 https://magazine.wharton.upenn.edu/digital/the-impact-of-limiting-beliefs/ , with 90% of those thoughts repeating daily. Beliefs are machines in our minds that pump out ideas. So, if you have a limiting belief, one of your thought machines is pumping thoughts like “You’re not good enough!” into your consciousness daily.

The Law of Attraction also sees beliefs as an opportunity filter. We can only see specific opportunities through our beliefs, and the Universe can only give us whatever opportunities fit through our beliefs.

If you believe you’ll never get the job you want, you might overlook the opportunity to offer yourself as an intern to your family friend who works in your desired industry. The Law of Attraction would take this thinking one step further and even say that this family friend might offer you an internship if you believed you could have it, but not otherwise. 

Consciousness is non-local

Non-local consciousness 2 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-04669-001 is the idea that consciousness isn’t confined to an individual’s brain or body but is part of a larger, interconnected field or universe. 

The Law of Attraction suggests that thoughts and intentions can influence one’s experiences and reach out into the universe to attract corresponding opportunities.

According to this framework, it means that to achieve a goal, you don’t have to lug the mass of your body to a place to interact with another physical mass. Instead, you can put your attention and awareness on the energy of something you want and draw it to you. 

The Law of Attraction in Action (with Real-Life Examples)

To better understand the concept, here are a few examples:

Example 1: Upgrading a job situation

Suppose Sally, an ambitious professional, is set on a managerial position at her firm. 

She isn’t just wishing for it passively. Instead, she constantly visualizes herself in that role, making decisions, leading a team, and achieving her targets. This positive thinking shapes her attitude and work ethic. 

Consequently, she’s more proactive, takes on more responsibilities, and displays leadership skills, which eventually get noticed and may lead her to that managerial position she’s been dreaming of.

Example 2: Attracting a partner

Here’s another example from my own life. 

Back in 2018, I was dating and looking for a partner. On August 29th of that year, I wrote in my journal a list of 16 qualities I wanted to manifest in a romantic partner. 

I wrote the list in a flash of inspiration, but I forgot about it a few weeks later. I continued to date, learning much about myself and my preferences from each new relationship.

And then, about ten months later, I started to connect with a new friend, and the connection had a lot of potential. So we kept going deeper and deeper. Until, next thing you know, we’ve been in partnership for over four years.

As I’m writing this, I looked back at that list for the first time in years and can confirm that my partner fits all 16 desires I wrote down to a tee!

This could be categorized as the use of the Law of Attraction—I clarified a vision of what I wanted, continued to take action, felt non-clingy towards the vision, and eventually, it manifested itself in my life. Proponents of the Law of Attraction would say I embodied the vibration of my desires and attracted them into my life.

Now, it’s important to note that nothing supernatural or mystical happened. You could say I got clear on what I wanted and filtered out possible partners who didn’t fit my criteria. 

Example 3: Celebrity experiences

Here’s a YouTube montage of several celebrities discussing their relationship with the Law of Attraction. Of course, this doesn’t confirm or deny if the Law of Attraction works or how it works, but it’s fascinating!

Is The Law of Attraction Based in Science?

It is important to note that the Law of Attraction is contentious, with views ranging from ardent followers to eyebrow-raising skeptics. 

Many people are cynical about the Law of Attraction because it is based on beliefs about the world that differ from most scientists’ beliefs.

The scientific community tends to view the world from a position called “scientific materialism 3 https://academic.oup.com/book/3378/chapter-abstract/144476233?redirectedFrom=fulltext .”

Scientific materialism is based on several core ideas. Let’s look at these ideas and see how they fit the Law of Attraction.

Material reality

This materialist view states that everything that exists, from galaxies to insects, can be reduced to interactions of matter and energy. 

The concept says that the brain is a complex matter-machine that produces consciousness, thoughts, and emotions.

Does this clash with the Law of Attraction?

Yes. The Law of Attraction states that thoughts can influence physical reality. Materialists would deny that thoughts are anything but brain output.

Observability

Observability means that to understand the nature of the universe, we should be able to observe and measure it. Anything that can’t be observed, measured, or quantified is often considered non-scientific.

Kind of. Measuring or quantifying how many “units” of positive thinking one must exert to attract a new car is difficult.

Causality 

This materialist view operates on the principle of cause and effect. It assumes that every event in the universe results from a prior event or a series of events.

No. The Law of Attraction framework also works through cause-and-effect thinking. It gives a different explanation as to why your actions might lead to specific results (e.g., your thoughts cause the circumstances to change), but it does still abide by cause-and-effect thinking.

Predictability and reproducibility 

According to this view, if an experiment is conducted under the same conditions, it should yield the same results. This predictability is essential for the scientific method.

Kind of. Claims that positive feelings attract positive outcomes are not easily measurable or observable by current scientific methods. That said, some studies 4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4760272/ suggest that positive thinking reduces worry and anxiety.

Objectivity 

Science strives to maintain an objective perspective, removing personal biases or emotions as much as possible.

No. Again, it could be possible to objectively measure claims of the Law of Attraction, but it’s typically not studied in science.

Science and The Law of Attraction

As we mentioned, scientific materialism and the Law of Attraction are two different worldviews and lenses for viewing life. Many of the techniques the Law of Attraction suggests have positive benefits regardless of your viewpoint.

Thus, we can use a scientific paradigm to explain why the Law of Attraction principles often work. This isn’t to suggest which way of viewing this is correct—it’s more to provide an alternative explanation for why visualizing often creates positive results.

Let’s go through a few psychological principles and see how each supports aspects of LoA practices.

Selective Attention

Selective attention refers to our brain’s ability to focus on specific stimuli while filtering out others, effectively homing in on what’s most relevant to our current interests or goals.

As neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart says in this interview , our brain constantly filters our external reality, but we can choose to be selective in what it filters to benefit our goals.

In the Law of Attraction context, when we visualize a goal or set an intention, our selective attention kicks into gear. We’re more likely to spot related opportunities or information. For instance, if you’ve been visualizing buying a new car, you may suddenly notice that model everywhere.

While the Law of Attraction claims this is due to your thoughts attracting your desires, psychology would suggest that it’s more about your attention filtering for relevant information. 

Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon where we naturally gravitate towards information that aligns with our existing beliefs and ignore or downplay information that contradicts them. 

It’s as if we’re wearing a pair of selective spectacles, viewing the world in a way that confirms our preconceived notions.

In this interview , Andrew Huberman cites a study that suggests that “when you believe something, there are chemical systems in your mind associated with repeating that belief.” In other words, when we affirm our beliefs, our brain releases dopamine, and we feel good.

The idea here is that we see what we believe, further reinforcing what we believe making us see more of it.

If you strongly believe in the Law of Attraction, you’re likely to interpret positive events as proof that your positive thoughts attracted these outcomes. Conversely, you might dismiss or rationalize away instances where the Law of Attraction didn’t seem to work, preserving your belief in its effectiveness.

While this isn’t necessarily bad—positive expectations can undoubtedly contribute to a healthier mindset—it’s essential to be aware of this bias.

For example, if you are looking for signs from the Universe, you will see characters where there are none.

That said, materialists must also beware of confirmation bias. Because if you assume that our imagination fabricates signs, then if the Universe giving signals is a real thing, you would not see them.

Placebo effect

The placebo effect is a psychological phenomenon where a person experiences an improvement in their condition or symptoms due to their belief in the effectiveness of a treatment, even if that treatment is inactive or doesn’t have any therapeutic properties.

The placebo effect is widely accepted 5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5953755/ in the scientific community. This is why placebos are used in many clinical trials testing new drugs. 

It’s also a principle used by mentalists like Derren Brown in his series Fear and Faith , where he creates elaborate placebo situations where he gets people to believe they are taking a high-tech drug to cure their greatest fear. Then, sure enough, they can overcome that fear by eating a sugar pill.

Now, let’s connect the dots to the Law of Attraction. The LoA hinges on the belief that our thoughts can influence our reality. If we truly believe that positive reviews will lead to positive outcomes, this belief itself could potentially create a placebo effect. In other words, our strong belief in the effectiveness of the Law of Attraction might generate a heightened sense of optimism, expectancy, and proactive behavior, which could contribute to improved outcomes in our lives.

For example, suppose I firmly believe that I will soon become wealthy. In that case, I may begin to placebo myself into feeling more confident and motivated, which will help me become wealthy.

Learned optimism

Learned optimism is a concept in positive psychology pioneered by psychologist Martin Seligman. It proposes that optimism, rather than being a fixed trait, can be cultivated over time by changing one’s thought patterns and developing more positive perspectives. 

Seligman found through research that when we view the world optimistically, we tend to become physically healthier, live longer, develop more fulfilling relationships, and achieve our goals more effectively.

Learned optimism shares a significant common ground with the Law of Attraction, particularly in their mutual emphasis on the power of positive thinking—both advocate for replacing negative thoughts with positive ones to improve one’s life circumstances.

Seligman even offers an activity where you visualize your future self who has created the life you want for yourself, which is also a LoA practice. However, Seligman doesn’t propose any mystical benefit to this activity, more that it creates a sense of confidence and possibility that you can make a life you want for yourself.

In the Law of Attraction context, affirmations, visualization, and gratitude could be seen as exercises in learned optimism. By consciously focusing on positive thoughts and emotions, individuals are training their brains to be more optimistic, aligning with Seligman’s concept.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A self-fulfilling prophecy 6 https://www.jstor.org/stable/4609267 , a term coined by sociologist Robert Merton, is a phenomenon where a belief or expectation influences individuals’ behavior in such a way that it causes the belief or expectation to come true. Our predictions inadvertently lead us to act in ways that bring about the anticipated outcome.

For instance, if a student continuously tells themselves they’re going to fail an upcoming test, they might become so anxious or demotivated that they don’t study effectively or at all. As a result, they perform poorly on the test, reinforcing their initial belief of failure. Thus, their negative belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Self-fulfilling prophecy plays a pivotal role when related to the Law of Attraction. If you believe and anticipate positive outcomes (as the Law of Attraction encourages), you will likely behave in ways that promote these outcomes. For instance, if you constantly visualize and affirm success in a job interview, you might enter the interview with more confidence and perform better, thereby making the ‘prophecy’ of success come true.

While the Law of Attraction attributes these outcomes to your thoughts “attracting” reality, psychology might explain this as a self-fulfilling prophecy at work. But regardless of how you spin it, a positive mindset will help you get the desired results.

The science of visualization

Visualization is a technique where you create a mental picture of a desired outcome or goal. 

From a scientific perspective, research has shown that the brain doesn’t significantly differentiate between a vivid mental experience and an actual physical experience. This is why athletes often use visualization as a part of their training – imagining the perfect shot, race, or routine can enhance their actual performance.

Neuroscientist Matthew Walker says in this interview that visualizing a motor skill’s performance is about 50% effective in changing the plastic connections within the brain as physically performing that act. If you are a martial artist, for example, you could visualize yourself performing a sequence repeatedly, which helps.

The Law of Attraction advocates for vividly imagining the desired outcome to attract that reality. So, if you’re seeking a promotion, you’d spend time regularly visualizing yourself in that higher position, performing the tasks, reaping the benefits, and feeling the satisfaction of that role.

While the Law of Attraction asserts that this process “attracts” your desired reality, science might argue that the benefits of visualization are more about priming your brain and body for the desired outcome; you’re rehearsing success, bolstering your confidence, and potentially improving your performance in the process.

There Are Always Two Explanations

When considering if the Law of Attraction clashes with the scientific perspective, it can be helpful to see the Law of Attraction as an entirely different lens from the materialist lens.

One way to think about it is that the scientific materialist lens is like a pair of glasses we put on to understand and comprehend the world. 

Materialism and the Law of Attraction as Lenses

We know that cultures across time have used different lenses to understand reality—and many cultures have the folly of assuming that their lens is the RIGHT. It’s easy for us to assume that our mainstream lens is the RIGHT lens. But very likely, 100 years from now, our way of seeing the world will have significantly evolved. We’ll look back at our lens from 2023, perhaps in the same way that we now look back on people who thought the Earth was the center of the solar system.

The materialist lens is a very powerful lens with great predictive ability. But it can also have some drawbacks, especially regarding meaning and spirituality. As a response to fill this void, there is a rise in the personal growth movement offering different lenses to view the world mythologically or spiritually.

To call materialism a lens doesn’t undermine its validity; it just inserts some humility into the picture. The universe is infinitely large. Literally, infinite. Infinity is something that our minds can’t comprehend. We have five senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing) through which we attempt to comprehend this infinite thing we’re a part of. Imagining that any of us could understand the universe in its entirety seems like a tall order. Different lenses and perspectives offer sight to other pieces of the infinite puzzle. Each lens may offer some value.

Using this metaphor, the Law of Attraction is a different lens for viewing reality. It sheds light on other parts of reality than the materialist lens. But it also might view certain things inaccurately as well.

Each lens unveils some part of the picture.

It’s like the ancient Buddhist parable of the blind men and the elephant. In the parable, a group of blind men are all touching an elephant, but they don’t know what they’re feeling. 

The man touching the elephant’s leg is certain he’s touching a tree trunk. The one touching the tusk is certain he’s touching a spear. The man touching the tail is sure he’s grabbing a rope. And so forth.

The men argue over what this object is because each is so sure of his experience.

Of course, all the men are correct in their limited perception, but none are right about the elephant. They could only understand that the thing is an elephant if they each bring humility and incorporate others’ perspectives.

It may be possible to view the Law of Attraction and materialism this way. Each touches an aspect of the thing, but neither can encapsulate it.

What it’s like to view the same event from different lenses

In this way, any time an event happens, you can always explain it with a materialist or Law of Attraction lens.

Let’s say I want a German Shepherd, so I meditate on it every day for weeks. I imagine myself in the reality where I own a beautiful German Shepherd. And then, one day, I noticed on my walk home that someone was selling a litter of German Shepherds. Yippy! My wish came true.

You could interpret this event through the LoA lens and say that clearly because I visualized and imagined my desired reality, I manifested that German Sheaphard to come into my life.

But you could just as easily interpret the event through a materialist lens. And say that my visualizing didn’t do much except put the dog on my mind. This made me much more likely to notice and pay attention to anything dog-related. That I saw a litter of German Shepherds was either dumb luck that I’m attributing a cause to, or I was more likely to notice it because of my efforts.

You choose how you view things.

I’m certainly not here to solve this debate once and for all and tell you how the world works! But consider that there may be some merit to taking on the Law of Attraction perspective, and there might also be merit in remaining skeptical and viewing things more from a materialist perspective.

Acknowledging the Limitations of the Law of Attraction

While the Law of Attraction can be effective, there are several common criticisms of the Law of Attraction.

It’s only one piece of the puzzle.

One critique many have of the Law of Attraction is that it’s one piece but often claims to be the entire puzzle.

Many successful people cite visualization and manifestation as part of their process.

But it seems clear that creating success also requires:

• Persistence and resilience
• Consistency
• An empowering support group and network
• Continuous growth
• Self-confidence
• Effective strategy

While many practices of the Law of Attraction help many people, it’s important not to discount other success factors.

The Law of Attraction often discounts taking action

Many proponents of the Law of Attract, especially in the famous documentary The Secret , put a lot of weight on visualization and thinking the right things. But as a result, they might undervalue the necessity of work and action as it relates to achieving goals.

The Law of Attraction isn’t a magic wand that can manifest desires without effort. While it emphasizes positive thinking and visualization, these must be accompanied by practical actions. 

There aren’t many famous counter-examples

While many of us have seen videos of Jim Cary and Will Smith endorsing manifestation, it’s rare to see montages and compilations of celebrities and average folks talking about how they tried and failed at using the Law of Attraction. 

This lack of balance can create an overly optimistic view of the Law of Attraction’s effectiveness.

Risk of victim blaming

If, for example, someone suffers abuse or happens to live in a war zone, the Law of Attraction would suggest that this person’s negative vibration attracted these events.

This can lead to a situation that blames the person who experiences the hardship and turns a blind eye to the perpetrator’s role.

Overemphasis on positivity

Many critique the Law of Attraction for only focusing on positivity and neglecting other parts of the human experience. 

While maintaining a positive mindset can be beneficial, it’s equally important to acknowledge and process negative emotions. Overemphasis on positivity can lead to toxic positivity and suppression of negative feelings, which can be counterproductive in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is a belief that positive or negative thoughts can bring about positive or negative experiences in a person’s life. It proposes that your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs can shape your reality.

The Law of Attraction suggests that your thoughts emit a certain frequency that can attract similar frequencies from the universe. Essentially, it’s the idea that likes attract likes, so positive reviews should attract positive experiences and vice versa.

The Law of Attraction can change your life by shifting your mindset and helping you focus on positive outcomes. However, it’s important to note that it’s not a magic solution and should be combined with active efforts toward your goals.

There are scientific studies supporting certain aspects of the Law of Attraction, like the benefits of positive thinking and visualization, but they only validate some of the concepts. The central claim that thoughts can physically alter reality needs concrete scientific backing.

According to its proponents, anyone can use the Law of Attraction, as it’s a universal principle. However, the effectiveness of the Law of Attraction can vary significantly from person to person, depending on individual belief and application.

There are specific steps to follow when practicing the Law of Attraction, including defining your desires, visualizing them, maintaining a positive mindset, and taking action toward your goals. These steps aim to align your thoughts and actions with your desired outcomes.

The time it takes to see results with the Law of Attraction varies greatly depending on the individual and the nature of the goal. Some might experience changes quickly, while others may need more time to observe significant shifts.

Takeaways About the Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction has become quite famous in different personal growth circles, and it offers many benefits. But it’s also worthwhile to bring critical thinking into how you relate to its metaphysical claims.

If you would like to put some of the LoA practices into action to help with your own goals, you could try the following:

• Start a gratitude practice. You state and feel gratitude for different parts of your life, especially the hardships.
• Create a vision board where you combine images and words to symbolize the life you want for yourself a year from now.
• Try positive affirmations where you create present-tense statements that embody how you want to feel and what you want your life to be like.
• Chunk your goals by breaking them into smaller steps and working at them one step at a time.

If you want to achieve your goals, you might find the SMART goals helpful framework. You can find an excellent guide about that right here.

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Scientists’ Perspectives on The Law of Attraction Explained

The Law of Attraction has garnered widespread attention in recent years, with many proponents claiming that it can manifest positive outcomes by harnessing the power of thoughts and intentions. While the concept has gained popularity in self-help and personal development circles, scientists have approached it with skepticism. In this blog, we’ll delve into the perspectives of scientists on the Law of Attraction, exploring both its potential and the limitations as seen through a scientific lens.

Understanding the Law of Attraction

To begin, it’s essential to clarify what the Law of Attraction entails. According to this concept, like attracts like, which means that positive or negative thoughts can bring corresponding positive or negative experiences into a person’s life. In essence, proponents believe that focusing on positive thoughts can attract positive outcomes.

Skepticism in the Scientific Community

Many scientists remain skeptical about the Law of Attraction. One reason for skepticism is the lack of empirical evidence supporting its claims. Science relies on systematic, repeatable experiments, and the Law of Attraction often falls short in providing measurable and verifiable results.

The Role of Cognitive Biases

Scientists also point to cognitive biases as a potential explanation for the perceived effectiveness of the Law of Attraction. These biases can lead individuals to notice and remember positive outcomes that align with their beliefs while overlooking or forgetting negative experiences. This selective attention can create the illusion that the Law of Attraction is working.

The Placebo Effect

Another factor scientists consider is the placebo effect. Belief in the Law of Attraction can lead individuals to feel more positive and hopeful, which may, in turn, contribute to their overall well-being. In some cases, these positive feelings can lead to actual improvements in health and life satisfaction. However, this effect is not exclusive to the Law of Attraction and can occur in various contexts.

Quantum Physics and the Law of Attraction

Some proponents of the Law of Attraction invoke concepts from quantum physics to support their claims. They suggest that the observer effect and quantum entanglement could explain how thoughts and intentions can influence reality. However, many scientists argue that these ideas are misinterpreted and taken out of context when applied to the Law of Attraction.

The Importance of Positive Thinking

While skepticism exists, scientists acknowledge the potential benefits of positive thinking and a hopeful mindset. Numerous studies have shown that maintaining a positive outlook can lead to better mental health, increased resilience, and improved overall well-being. This aligns with some aspects of the Law of Attraction’s emphasis on positive thought patterns.

Visualization and Goal Setting

Scientists also recognize the value of visualization and goal setting, which are often integral components of Law of Attraction practices. Setting clear goals and mentally rehearsing desired outcomes can improve motivation and focus, increasing the likelihood of achieving those goals.

The Power of Affirmations

Affirmations, or positive statements used to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts, have shown promise in some psychological studies. While affirmations alone may not magically manifest desired outcomes, they can help individuals cultivate a more optimistic and resilient mindset.

The Importance of Taking Action

Critics of the Law of Attraction argue that it can lead to a passive approach to life. Scientists emphasize that while positive thinking and intention setting are valuable, they must be accompanied by concrete actions. Taking proactive steps toward one’s goals is crucial for achieving real-world results.

The Need for Further Research

In conclusion, the Law of Attraction remains a contentious topic in the scientific community. While some aspects of it, such as positive thinking and goal setting, have been studied and validated, the broader claims of manifesting specific outcomes through thoughts alone lack robust empirical support. To bridge the gap between belief and scientific understanding, further research is needed to explore the mechanisms behind the Law of Attraction and its potential applications in a more nuanced manner.

Scientists’ views on the Law of Attraction are characterized by skepticism tempered with acknowledgment of the importance of positive thinking, goal setting, and affirmations. While empirical evidence supporting the Law of Attraction’s more extraordinary claims remains limited, the concept’s emphasis on optimism and intention setting aligns with aspects of psychology and personal development. As science continues to explore the connection between mindset and outcomes, our understanding of the Law of Attraction may evolve, shedding light on its potential and limitations in shaping our lives.

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Distillations magazine

Laws of attraction.

The magnetic connection between sailors, adultery, and garlic.

William Gilbert’s De magnete (London, 1600) was the first scientific book of consequence published in England and a hallmark of the new experimental philosophy of the 16th and 17th centuries. And it all began with a peculiar kind of rock.

Alongside the philosophers’ stone, which was reputed to transmute base metals into gold, early natural philosophers were acquainted with another seemingly miraculous “Philosophicall Stone,” that is, the lodestone, or magnet. It had the unaccountable ability to attract iron—even through paper or wood—and the equally strange ability to attract or repel other lodestones or magnetized needles.

Ancient scholars had relatively little to say about lodestone, certainly compared with Renaissance scholars. The Roman Pliny gave a general rundown of types of lodestone. Plutarch, and the astronomer Ptolemy after him, drew attention to the magnet’s attractive power, noting in passing that garlic had the ability to neutralize it. This belief would later spawn the rumor that mariners were forbidden to eat garlic or onions lest their compass be rendered inoperable. Among other magnetic lore from the Middle Ages, Marbodus, Bishop of Rennes, related that a lodestone under the pillow would drive an adulteress from her bed. (He did not mention a corresponding effect on adulterers.)

Medieval sailors were the first to put the compass to navigational use. Natural philosophers soon focused the newly emerging experimental spirit on the lodestone. Giambattista della Porta picked one up and exclaimed in Natural Magick (1558), “In a few days, not to say hours, when I sought one experiment, others offered themselves, that I collected almost two hundred of principal note; So wonderful is God in all his works.” In addition to basic magnetic phenomena della Porta showed experimentally that garlic had no effect on a lodestone (he breathed garlic breath on it). He also consulted with sailors who answered that “they were old Wives fables, and things ridiculous; and that Sea-men would sooner lose their lives, then abstain from eating Onyons and Garlick.”

In England, later in the 16th century, instrument maker Robert Norman discovered a new and, to him, annoying magnetic phenomenon. In the course of making compasses he noticed that though balanced when he made them, the north end of the needle would drop below the horizontal after being magnetized, requiring him to add a small counterweight on the south end to keep the compass card level. After being commissioned to make a large, expensive 6-inch compass needle and then ruining it as he attempted to rebalance it, his pique at this waste drove him to systematically investigate this phenomenon.

Norman discovered that in addition to their north−south orientation, compass needles also orient themselves vertically, with their north poles declining in proportion to the latitude. But it was left to another Englishman, William Gilbert, to find the cause of this magnetic declination. He inferred correctly that the earth itself is a gigantic, round magnet. Compass needles align themselves with the earth’s magnetic field lines, which curve around the earth from pole to pole. Gilbert investigated all aspects of magnetism so thoroughly—including inventing the terminology that distinguishes electric (i.e., static electric) attraction from magnetic (involving the lodestone or iron) attraction—that the study of magnetism advanced little further until the 19th century. But for the “assertion that a loadstone placed unawares under the head of a sleeping woman drives her out of the bed if she be an adulteress” Gilbert had no tolerance, and that oft-cited fact passed into obscurity.

James R. Voelkel is the curator of rare books at the Science History Institute and a senior advisory editor to the Chymistry of Isaac Newton project.

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How Does The Law Of Attraction Work Scientifically?

• By Katherine Hurst
• Updated October 31st, 2017

If you’ve been reading up on the Law of Attraction, you might have started to wonder this: how does the Law of Attraction work scientifically speaking? Can it be explained by physics? Or, by neuroscience, for example?

While the principles underlying manifestation probably resonates with you on an intuitive level, it’s only natural that a more logically driven part of your mind is keen to understand how the Law of Attraction works scientifically. Here’s a brief history of the theoretical underpinnings of manifestation! All of these you can easily investigate further if something sparks your curiosity.

How We Inherit The Limiting Beliefs That Hold Us Back

When you’re asking the question “ How does the Law of Attraction work scientifically ?” it’s important to first look at basic biology and genetics. It’s in this area that we can start to see why we often don’t get what we want at first, even when we don’t know why, and think we’re trying as hard as we can.

In particular, the very latest genetic research indicates that we actually inherit certain negative beliefs and associations from previous generations. This is a blameless fact that can undermine us until we uncover it.

The most exciting and evocative experiments on this phenomenon have been conducted with mice and cherry blossoms. When mice receive an electric shock at the same time as smelling cherry blossom, the resulting negative association is so significant that it ends up being passed to their children. These children then react fearfully to cherry blossom even though they’ve never had a single negative experiment with it themselves.

Images of their brains show that they actually have different neurological receptors. This is all because of something that happened to their parents. This is the science that gives us one of the major starting points for manifestation (i.e. the identification and excision of inherited limiting beliefs).

The Importance Of Mirror Neurons

One of the other key lessons of manifestation science is that vibrating on a high frequency and becoming an open-minded, loving person will attract good things from the world around you. Science actually has a lot to say about why this approach is successful.

We have specific neurons that mirror observed behaviors. These mirror neurons allow us to induce particular responses in people we interact with. So, if you are happy, passionate and giving, those around you will offer the same attitudes and behaviors in response. They simply can’t help it!

Further, MRI brain scans also indicate that mirror neurons cause others to feel anxious and afraid if we feel anxious or afraid. This helps to provide a scientific explanation for why a low vibration of fear and lack will prevent us from forming good relationships and successful careers (even if we think we desperately want those things).

Neurologists Begin To Explain The Power Of Visualization

Law of Attraction experts often stresses the importance of the creative visualization process through which you vividly imagine the life you’re trying to manifest. Scientifically, the Law of Attraction works at least partly because of this very process, and neurologists working at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging in London are finding proof.

Specifically, they’re seeing that those who visualize what they want are much more likely to get it. Look out for more research in this area over the coming years, as neuroimaging studies continue to find out new information about how visualizing changes the brain.

Why Psychologists And Psychiatrists Prescribe Affirmations

Just as neuroscientists are generating evidence that visualizing helps you create what you want in life, those in the psychological sciences are finding that their patients can use affirmations to the same effect.

The affirmations you practice when working with the Law of Attraction are “constructive, repetitive thoughts”. This is just what academics and practicing psychologists suggest when trying to increase the chances that someone will meet a goal they set.

Recently published studies in psychology show that affirmations also help people recover from trauma, reduce major symptoms of depression, and even appear to have a relationship to general physical well-being.

Support In General Medical Science

Finally as suggested above, a large part of using the Law of Attraction involves adopting positive thinking patterns that then “pull” more positive experiences, feelings, and events towards you. As it turns out, there’s strong scientific support for this. This is not only in highly specialized fields but also in research that aims to give an overview of what creates a fulfilling life.

For example, a team of Korean scientists published findings in the Yonsei Medical Journal showing that people who practice habits promoting positive thinking reliability end up with more satisfying lives.

The above represents just a brief summary of some of the many cutting-edge investigations and data collection projects that are helping to lend credibility to what manifestation experts have known all along; that the Law of Attraction does work, and that the real reasons why it works have a lot more to do with science than they do with religious or mystical claims.

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The Law of Attraction: Science, Faith, and the Cult of Positive Thought. Part 1.

The secret: inviting adults back to childhood since 2006.

Posted November 27, 2009

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The popular book and movie The Secret has spread its message deep into our culture. For the rare reader who is not already familiar with The Secret , it has a simple message which it calls the Law of Attraction . The message is that whatever you think about (wealth, or poverty, happiness or misery, love or isolation) the universe will deliver to you. You attract to yourself that which you imagine.

This message has a clear appeal. It offers a one-size-fits-all solution to life's large and small problems. All of them.

Part of me thinks The Secret holds valuable truth. If I am caught in a traffic jam, I have a choice. I can increase my stress level by thinking about how angry I am or I can decrease my stress level by imagining a clear road home. There are benefits of thinking such relaxing thoughts: I feel happier in the moment and I avoid the wear and tear that stress puts on my body. In a more relaxed frame of mind, I am probably also more likely to notice and appreciate a break in the traffic ("ah! a wonderfully clear road, just as I imagined.") than I would be in the stressed frame of mind ("finally I have two inches of driving room, dang it. I've waited long enough.") These benefits of positive thinking are supported by sound empirical evidence.

But The Secret takes the power of positive thinking far beyond the evidence. Its claim is that your thoughts cause the things that happen to you. If you think about a clear road home, the universe will deliver it to you. If you think about an empty parking space, the universe will manifest one in front of your car. If you think about having an income of $100,000, you shall have it. A beautiful wife? That too.

My scientific training has made me skeptical of claims of causality (which are notoriously hard to prove) and of unfalsifiable claims (which are impossible to prove). The law of attraction, sadly, is not only a causal claim; it is an unfalsifiable one. Consider this: what if you don't get what you want after thinking and thinking about thinking about it? Does that prove that The Secret doesn't work? No, because maybe didn't think enough about it, or you thought too many negative thoughts, or you didn't give the universe enough time to deliver it to you.

Yet why let the absence of proof stop me when The Secret offers infinite benefits? Why not follow Pascal's famous rationale for believing in God: if there is any chance that God is real, I have much more to gain by believing in him than I have to lose by not believing. Similarly with the Law of Attraction.

My reason for continued skepticism about The Secret is a moral and philosophical one. Instead of just dishonest, The Secret may be downright destructive.

Optimism uber-alles. Marketed as a revelation of ancient wisdom that has travelled down the ages, The Secret is instead a re-interpretation of ancient wisdom through strikingly contemporary eyes. I have written before about the problems with our culture's privileging of optimism and positive emotions and its refusal to acknowledge suffering . The Secret promotes these cultural preferences along with a claim that the individual can have limitless control over his own destiny.

The Secre t 's claims are attractive indeed, but instead of promoting the kinds of attitudes and capacities that adults need in order to live lives that are full, integrated, and mature, The Secret promotes a relationship between the individual and the world that is akin to a glorified infancy.

A glorified infancy. When we were infants, we relied on our caregivers to meet all of our needs. If we were lucky, our caregivers mostly did meet our needs. In no case, though, can a caregiver read an infant's mind. As everyone who has ever been a parent - or an infant - knows, parents' inability to mind-read is alone responsible for plenty of unnecessary tears and suffering. In virtually no case does a caregiver give an infant everything he or she wants. In virtually no case are the infant's desires the only causes of the events in his or her life.

The Secret promises that if we can learn to ask and receive, then the Universe can be the idealized parent we never had - a parent who can read our minds and provide us with everything we want.

Be careful what you wish for. In his recent book, Stumbling on Happiness , Dan Gilbert cleverly and comically argues that we spend much time trying to provide for our future selves the things that we think they will want, only to find our future selves ungrateful and disappointed. On the flip side, we end up happy with things we never thought we wanted. As adolescents, we may have shuddered at the thought of ending up as ordinary, boring adults. When we become ordinary, boring adults, those ordinary, boring things like buying a house and having children are milestones more meaningful than our adolescent selves with their limited vision could have imagined.

I'm not sure I want total control over my future. If we really could plan our future lives for our future selves, this would gut our lives' journeys of the experiences that make us grow and develop as people.

What about empathy? The worst part of the Law of Attraction is that is discourages the kinds of practices that can help the most isolated and miserable among us feel some relief from suffering. Among the most transformative and healing moments in psychotherapy are those in which the therapist can step into the client's pain - can share in it for a time - so that the client feels another's understanding, compassionate presence and feels not so alone. This empathic process requires the therapist to be willing to actively imagine and be impacted by the client's painful reality. This process is also powerful when one's friends and loved ones can do it. What happens to this kind of empathy if we believe that our futures are shaped by the negative things we imagine?

Jenna Baddeley is working on a Ph.D. in social/personality and clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

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I love doing Law of Attraction experiments

I love testing out the premise that my thoughts do, indeed, create my reality.

I’m a believer, for sure. It really didn’t take any convincing when about a year ago I became obsessed with Law of Attraction.

At the same time, I also like proving it. I like being the scientist and studying my own life. What works and what doesn’t.

I think we should all do that! I think YOU should do that—be the subject and the scientist—and study Law of Attraction in your own life. So you can see what works and experience the manifestations you want in your own life.

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Law of Attraction is working in your life whether you know about it or not, whether you believe it or not. But experiments help you really understand this powerful law of the universe so you can more deliberately, more intentionally, more excitedly leverage it in your life.

Let the experiments begin

So, where do you start when you want to experiment with Law of Attraction? Well, you can certainly make up your own experiments.

I do this all the time. I’ve experimented with appreciation practices, with different ways to get in alignment, with pre-paving.

One experiment I did was to start pre-paving before going to bed each night. Lo and behold my sleep dramatically improved. My conclusion: Pre-paving works!

But if you don’t want to come up with your own, there are some great books with LoA experiments you can try. Top of mind are the ones by Pam Grout. She’s made experimenting with Law of Attraction kind of her thing.

Pam is well-known for a book called E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality.

The Volkswagen Jetta Principle

I want to share one of the very first LoA experiments I ever tried—that has since taken on a life of its own. It was inspired by an experiment in E-Squared called The Volkswagen Jetta Principle.

This experiment sets out to prove that what shows up in your life is a direct reflection of your inner thoughts and emotions.

It’s a 48-hour experiment, so very doable. Costs no money. Takes hardly any time.

And it’s fun!

Here’s the question posed by this particular experiment: Do you really see only what you expect to see?

And the hypothesis is: If you decide to look for a certain color car or yellow butterflies or purple feathers, you will find them.

In other words, if you intend to see something, you will see it.

Why? Because as Pam says:

“You impact the field and draw from it according to your beliefs and expectations.”

Essentially the experiment is this: For 48 hours, you’re going to look for certain things.

So for the first 24 hours, you’re going to make this conscious intention: “I hereby intend, for the next day of my life, to look for ____ [and then you fill in the blank].” Say yellow butterflies or purple feathers.

And then nothing special is required. You’re just going to make the intention and then keep your eyes open. You’re simply going to notice if your conscious awareness makes a difference in the number of yellow butterflies or purple feathers you see.

Then on day two, so during the second 24-hour period, you’re going to make another intention—it could be to see red cardinals or a series of numbers, like 123.

It doesn’t matter what you select. Just that you set the intention to see something specific and then start observing and watch it show up.

This experiment is meant to prove three things:

• What you see in life is what you’re looking for—in other words, what you expect or intend to see
• It’s possible to find anything you look for
• By changing what you look for, you will change what shows up in your world

That last one is the game changer! By changing what you look for, you will change what shows up in your world.

What was a rare sight…

I picked yellow vehicles. I’m not even sure why, it was just the inspired thought that popped into my mind.

So when I first started this experiment, that’s what I was looking to see—yellow vehicles.

Now, before my obsession with Law of Attraction and this experiment, I would’ve said these yellow vehicles were a rare sight. I could go a long time without seeing a yellow car or yellow truck.

But now I see them all the time! I mean—ALL the time.

I’m always on the lookout for yellow cars and trucks, yellow SUVs and buses. And whenever I see one, I think of it as a sign from the Universe.

In fact, I think of it as a wink, high-five, and hug from the Universe. How great is that!?

I really delight in this sign from the Universe that I’m seeing what I intend to see.

On a recent drive to visit my Mom, I saw over 50 yellow vehicles! 50! It’s a 5-hour drive, so that’s 10 an hour. That’s crazy. I was getting hugs from the Universe right and left.

Now, if you’ve read my blog post  Why you don’t want to be on the freeway with me , you know these long drives on the interstate have been a real problem for me.

Well, this latest drive, and seeing so many yellow vehicles, was the most pleasant road trip I’ve had in years. I didn’t feel that old fear. It was as if each yellow vehicle was a reassuring sign: All is well.

Maybe even more amazing is how many yellow vehicles I see on just a typical day from my apartment window. I work from home with a view overlooking downtown Ann Arbor.

Not a day goes by that I don’t see a dozen yellow vehicles at random times from my window. In fact, sometimes it feels like whenever I take a moment to look up, there’s one driving by, one backing up, one turning the corner.

The Universe is friendly!

And each time I see a yellow vehicle, it’s the best kind of affirmation.

It reminds me of my connection to the Universe, and I feel a surge of love and appreciation. It’s a fun, happy occurrence that makes me smile and reminds me to lighten up and laugh more.

Looking for signs is a fun way to connect with the Universe. Just imagine—each time I see a little yellow Fiat the Universe is giving me a hug, high-five and a wink.

My focus on yellow cars is connecting with the Universe and reminding myself that I get to choose what I see, what I notice, what I put my attention on.

Intending to see yellow vehicles—and now seeing them ALL the time, with such frequency—is a loving and fun reminder that I get to choose which thoughts I’ll feed versus those I’ll starve. And that I create my reality when I do this.

“Whatever I give attention to—wanted or unwanted—I am creating.” —Abraham

Now it’s your turn

I encourage you to do your version of the Volkswagen Jetta experiment. Take two days and set an intention for each 24-hour period. You have nothing to lose!

On the first day, set an intention to see something of your choosing—yellow butterflies, red books, unicorns—whatever.

Then notice, observe. Watch what you chose as your focus show up in your reality.

On the second day, simply set a new intention, perhaps to see white kittens or blue feathers, to get something free or receive an unexpected gift.

And again, notice, observe. Look for what you intend to see. And then watch it show up in your experience.

This is such a simple, powerful experiment. Because when you realize you can do it with yellow butterflies and blue feathers, you start to grasp what you’re truly capable of.

You have proof that you do, indeed, create your reality.

And then, of course, take that knowledge and put it to use in all the areas of your life where you want to expand, to create.

Happy experimenting!

hello there!

I’m Jennifer Bailey, a Life Coach in Ann Arbor, MI. I’m really into Law of Attraction—as in obsessed. It’s how I live my life. It’s how I coach my clients. I'd love to help you use the Law of Attraction to manifest with ease.

Love Your Life + Law of Attraction

A great way to raise your vibration

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The Law Of Attraction And The Double Slit Experiment

The following video shows the results of a famous physics experiment called the double slit experiment. The video graphically shows the connection between mind power and quantum physics. It confirms what experts in the field of the Law of Attraction have been telling us for years.

The double-slit experiment , is sometimes called Young’s experiment, and is a demonstration of the strange fact that matter and energy can display characteristics of both waves and particles (photons). You can see particles (photons), but not waves. In the basic version of the experiment, a coherent light source from as a laser illuminates a thin metal plate having two parallel slits. The laser light passing through the slits is observed on a screen placed behind the plate. The wave nature of coherent light (comprised of a single frequency) causes the waves passing through the two slits to interfere, producing bright and dark bands on the screen. This result should not happen if light consisted strictly of particles. However, at the screen, the light is always shown as though it were composed of discrete particles or photons; this is known as the principle of wave–particle duality.

Quantum Physics

The premise of Quantum Physics is that matter can behave as particles or waves. The double slit experiment proves that matter can behave as particles or as waves; but matter cannot behave as waves and particles at the same time.

The double-slit experiment confirmed that our observation changes the behaviour of waves into particles. The behavior is dependent on our observation.  The particle appears to know it is being watched (observed) and because of this, it acts accordingly.

This behaviour leads to some exciting conclusions related to the the Law of Attraction.

All matter is governed by Quantum Physics.  Sub atomic particles are the building blocks of all matter. Your physical body, your house, your car, and your money, but only when you draw it from the cash dispenser.

All these particles respond to the way we observe them.  We influence the waves of matter simply by observing them. Your observation of reality is what creates your reality.

Your observation is where you direct your attention.  The double-slit experiment demonstrates that our attention influences the behavior of particles. And since all matter is comprises these sub atomic particles you could assume that the behavior of matter is influenced by your observation.

Your attention creates your physical reality. This means that everything you observe has originated from your thoughts for good or bad.  That is why it is vitally important to understand the consequences of your thinking. Only think about what you want in your life!

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7 Simple Manifestation Methods: Exercises That Actually Work

• Post author: Kyle Greenfield
• Post published: January 29, 2020
• Post category: The Law of Attraction
• Post comments: 0 Comments

Are you struggling to manifest your goals?

Once you understand how The Law of Attraction works , the next question is obvious: 

How do you actually use this knowledge to create the life you really want to live?

How do you manifest the things you really, really want, even when you have no clue how you’re going to get them?

Simple: practice, practice, practice.

The Law of Attraction is all about managing your energy. You control your manifestation by using really simple exercises to help lift your mood and align your energy to match your desires.

In this post, I share 8 easy manifestation exercises you can use to get you started.

Click here to for a free trial of our workshop outlining 5 secrets of manifestation.

7 Easy Law of Attraction Manifestation Techniques

Before we dive into these Law of Attraction manifestation techniques, I want to emphasize that the key underlying each and every one of them is to learn to pay attention to your current mood, and begin prioritizing how you feel over any other circumstance in your life.

The following are tools to help you do just that.

Keep a Manifestation List

Start a manifestation journal using positive aspects.

• Play the Game of Effortless Creation
• Practice a Rampage of Alignment

Leverage The Power of Revision

Strengthen your faith in a positive outcome.

The first srrategy you can use is to keep a manifestation list. It’s simple and straightforward, but incredibly powerful. Simply writing down a list of your goals, and listing details about what you want to experience can be a really good way to align your energy with your desires.

While this is a very common exercise, many people don’t realize that there should always be two halves to your list.

First, you keep a list of everything that you want to manifest in your life. Update this frequently, and keep coming back to it to read and re-write the details whenever you feel inspired.

But, there’s also a second part. Alongside the things you want to manifest, also keep a list of things that have already manifested in your life, whether they’re big or small. Looking back to see how everything worked out in the past can be a really good way to increase your belief that your current desire is also on its way to you. This is especially powerful when the manifestations you’ve experienced seemed quasi-random or unexpected at the time.

Repeat this exercise often, reinforcing both what you want and what is already going well for you.

If you find it difficult, or feel like you don’t believe the list you’re keeping, skip down to the exercise on strengthening your faith first.

The second technique is an extension of the first. You can expand your list to include more details about what you want, making sure to always focus on the positive aspects of your desire.

There are two approaches you can take.

The first is to focus on the positive aspects of the desire you want to manifest. Like in the first exercise above, this is where you list all of your imagined details that describe why you want your goal, and how much fun and excitement you anticipate from it.

The second approach is to focus on the clues that are leading you to that aim. These clues are the million little things that are perfect in your life right now, even if they aren’t directly related to your goal. The most important point here is to focus on things that make you feel good. If those positive aspects relate to your desire, so much the better, but if not, it’s ok to keep your list general, feeling appreciative of whatever is well with you, right now.

Learn more about keeping a gratitude journal , or download this free journal template.

Play The Game of Effortless Creation

This third manifestation exercise is one of my personal favorites. I call it the game of effortless creation, because it helps you to treat your manifestations freely, with an open mind and lighthearted approach.

To do this exercise, take a few seconds to quiet your mind, and find your center. Then, think of three things you’d like to experience in the next few days. Think of “little” things that may seem random, but fun. Choose experiences that are outside your normal day-to-day routine, but that are also simple and believable.

Then, forget about them. Go about your normal routine, and see what unfolds for you.

I love this exercise because it helps to strengthen your belief in synchronicity, those improbable coincidences that seem to align everything to meet your needs. This game works because when you choose little things that aren’t important to you, you enter into the receptive mode, releasing resistance to your chosen desire.

Recognizing this with the ‘small coincidences’ in life helps to pave the way for the experience of your larger aims, about which you hold more resistance.

Practice a Rampage of Appreciation

Next up is to practice playing with a rampage of appreciation .

This is a great process from Abraham Hicks, in which you string together phrases that make you feel good. Begin generally, and gradually build momentum to become more specific about the positive manifestation of your goal.

I explain more on how to do a rampage of appreciation in this post.

Revision is a popular Neville Goddard technique that helps you to shift your perspective on your day, and re-align yourself with your goals.

It works because often we set our intentions in the morning, but then are easily pulled off-track during the day, becoming embroiled in whatever circumstances happen to be in front of us.

When these circumstances seem to provide evidence against your aim, they can be destructive, since they serve to convince you that your goal is not possible…or at least not any time soon.

Revision is a great way to deal with this hiccup. At the end of your day, take a few minutes to enter into a quiet place and center your mind. Use your imagination to relive the day, and focus on any event that did not seem to go your way.

Using your imagination, relive the event, but change the experience to reflect more of what you want. You envision a new story that you tell yourself about the day.

Read more about the power of revision.

All of the above exercises are based upon your ability to believe that your desire is possible for you.

If you do not fundamentally believe that your aim is realistic, then no amount of empty affirmations or exercises will be effective in reshaping your energy.

Instead, your focus should be on changing your beliefs.

You can create empowering beliefs – beliefs that evidence who you want to be – by using a technique known as autosuggestion.

Basically, you form a new belief by repeatedly thinking thoughts in accordance with the desired belief. When you focus a thought, your faith in it expands, and over time you can fundamentally alter the way you think about your life.

Learn more about how to use affirmations correctly.

Lastly, one of the single most powerful manifestation exercises you can do is simply to spend time daydreaming.

The more you imagine things working out for you, the more you can enter that space of feeling good about the possibilities your desires hold, the more you begin to convince yourself that everything is working out for you, and that your desires are on their way to you.

We tend to overlook the process of daydreaming because it feel too easy. But, giving your mind the creative space it needs can do wonders for helping you to catch a feeling of positive inspiration and go after your dream.

Learn more about how to manifest in our workshop on Getting Into The Vortex.

Kyle Greenfield

You might also like.

Can You Lose Weight With The Law of Attraction?

The Law Of Allowing: How To Begin Accepting Positivity

How To Develop Prosperity Consciousness: Exercises and Affirmations for Abundance

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Newton’s law of gravitation

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Newton’s law of gravitation , statement that any particle of matter in the universe attracts any other with a force varying directly as the product of the masses and inversely as the square of the distance between them. In symbols, the magnitude of the attractive force F is equal to G (the gravitational constant , a number the size of which depends on the system of units used and which is a universal constant) multiplied by the product of the masses ( m 1 and m 2 ) and divided by the square of the distance R: F = G ( m 1 m 2 )/ R 2 . Isaac Newton put forward the law in 1687 and used it to explain the observed motions of the planets and their moons, which had been reduced to mathematical form by Johannes Kepler early in the 17th century.