One session in therapy, I told my therapist about how one of my biggest fears were tornados – not that I’d ever experienced one in real life. Actually, I had as a small child, and I was more curious and enthralled by it than terrified. But I had reoccurring dreams of tornados and their total destruction which birthed this irrational fear of mine.
She told me something that changed everything: the brain cannot distinguish between a dream and reality.
In fact, it cannot distinguish between dream and reality, or even memory and present.
And this changed everything, not just in how I approached my mental health healing, but how I understand and approach manifestation and the law of attraction.
That part of the spiritual community I’ve noticed gets a lot of hate. And yes, trust me, there are parts of that niche that advocate for toxic positivity, and for anyone outside of the community they feel a little out of touch with their “just believe it and it will be” mentality.
The idea that the we can almost trick our brain into believing something, or that it can’t always tell the difference between memory and present makes me question…who’s to say the brain can distinguish future from present? And if we can suggest to the brain what the future is, what’s to stop the brain from subtly working to influence our actions so we create that future?
It can get extremely complex, so I do recommend Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza if you’re curious, but also asking a clinical psychologist or your therapist about these concepts if you’re curious for more.
The key here is that it works best when your vulnerable to suggestion in some why – hence why dreaming can accidently implant false memories, or hearing your mom (someone your presumably trust) tell you a story about your childhood creates a false memory in your own head. So, before bed, and right when we wake up, or during deep states of meditation is a great time to deeply imagine having that thing or person you want, or that life you want.
It’s also a great time to use affirmation, scripting, or whatever manifestation method you prefer.
And, don’t worry if intrusive thoughts or doubts bother you during the day – you’re brain isn’t as open to tying them to the future. If they come up during one of your manifesting sessions, I would recommend getting curious about them, asking them to step a few feet away, or just watching the path your thoughts go with as little judgement as you can.
Manifestation doesn’t have to be so out of touch, or put into simple phrases as the community can sometimes make it seem. It can be grounded and paired with science, and psychology as well. Let us know in the comments or over on Instagram if these concepts fascinate you in any way!
Further Reading
1. Your Brain on Imagination https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181210144943.htm
2. Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza
3. Does your Brain Distinguish Real from Imaginary? https://drdavidhamilton.com/does-your-brain-distinguish-real-from-imaginary/
We recommend talking with a clinical psychologist or your trusted mental health professional to learn more about these topics.