I'm going to be taking some excerpts from my 3 Gateways of Manifestation book for this article. The reason is because it gives some great foundational definitions. Anybody wondering how to manifest will most likely pick one of these descriptions to start with, then work their way though them as they develop on their spiritual journey. That's because while these definitions are distinct, they can are all true at the same time.

What manifestation is and how manifestation works are both topics with huge dynamic range across diverse belief systems. Quantifying such a topic is a difficult task, but I've offered three definitions of manifestation that fall along touchpoints of the spectrum of “magical”:

• "Very magical" definition of manifestation: Purported fast, instant results; tricks and gimmicks prevalent in pop culture; quantum leaping; reality shifting
• "Somewhere in the middle" definition of manifestation: The infinite loop between your subconscious mind and 3D reality; law of attraction
• "Mostly practical" definition of manifestation: The actualization of your focus and intention

“Very Magical”

At one extreme, there’s the hyper-magical interpretation of manifestation. People are generally first attracted to the mystifying properties of common laws like the Law of Attraction. Picture it: instant results, the universe bending to your will with a mere flicker of positive thought. It’s the realm of quantum leaps and spellbinding magic, where affirmations and visualizations weave the fabric of reality. I’ll mention some techniques here:

• The 369 method
• Two cups manifestation method
• The whisper method

Why do people flock to these practices? Often, it’s to influence the actions of others, be it in romance, business, or career aspirations. The content generated by magical manifestation hacks is a gold mine for popular manifestation coaches because the headlines can be so catchy. I will first briefly describe some popular tricks, because these don’t take much explanation and will not be the focus of this guide. Here they are:

The 369 Method

The 369 method gimmick gained popularity through its association with Nikola Tesla, although there’s no concrete evidence to suggest he actually used it. Nonetheless, it has become a widely practiced method within the manifestation community. It’s based on the idea that certain numbers hold special significance and can be used to amplify the manifestation process. Here’s how it works:

1. Choose your desire

2. Write it down three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon, and nine times at night. Use past tense as if your desire already happened to you.

3. Practice for a specific period, typically 21 days, although some practitioners continue for longer depending on their goals.

The numbers 3, 6, and 9 are thought to resonate with the natural patterns of the universe. By repeating the intention a specific number of times at different points throughout the day, an individual is believed to be aligned with these energetic frequencies to enhance the manifestation process.

Two Cups Manifestation Trend

The Two Cups gimmick is based on the concept of quantum jumping, which suggests that individuals can shift to alternate realities or timelines through conscious intention and visualization. The exact origin of the trend is difficult to pinpoint, and it is thought to come from an online forum, but this is unsubstantiated. Here’s how it works:

Materials: You’ll need two cups, a marker or pen, and sticky notes or labels.

1. Define Your “Current State” and “Desired State”: On one cup, write down your current situation or state that you want to change. This could be anything from a specific problem you’re facing to a goal you want to achieve. On the other cup, write down the desired outcome or state that you want to manifest.

2. Visualize the Transformation: Fill the first cup with water, representing your current state. As you pour the water from the first cup into the second cup, visualize the transformation taking place. Imagine yourself shifting from your current state to the desired state, experiencing the changes you want to manifest.

3. Complete the Ritual: Once you’ve transferred the water from the first cup to the second cup, take a moment to reflect on the transformation you’ve visualized. Then, dispose of the water from the first cup, symbolizing the release of your old state and the manifestation of your desired state.

This trick uses visualization and intention setting to shift consciousness from the current reality to the desired reality. By channeling the desired outcome and symbolically “pouring” it into the second cup, the individual is metaphorically aligning their consciousness with the desired reality, thereby initiating a quantum jump.

The “whisper” method

This gimmick involves whispering desires or intentions to the universe or yourself in a soft, gentle manner. It’s based on the belief that whispering creates a deeper connection with the subconscious mind and the universal energy. Here’s how it works:

1. Find a quiet space.

2. In a soft and gentle voice, whisper your desires or intentions to the universe or to yourself. Speak as if you are sharing a secret or a sacred truth. Use positive and affirming language to articulate what you want to manifest clearly

3. As you whisper your desires, visualize yourself already in your desired outcome. Engage all your senses and emotions to make the visualization as vivid and real as possible. Imagine yourself experiencing the fulfillment of your desires in detail.

As stated before, I recognize the appeal of these trendy manifestation gimmicks. They offer entertainment and excitement but it’s important to understand their limitations. Like psychic dependency, they lack the depth and sophistication needed for long-term change. While they may work sometimes, my preference is to teach underlying principles. The remainder of this guide will focus on more substantive strategies for manifestation.

“Mostly Practical”

On the opposite end of the spectrum lies a grounded, practical definition: manifestation is actualization. The actualization of what, you might ask? Your beliefs about yourself and the world around you. Take, for instance, a morning routine: waking up, going to the bathroom, and brushing your teeth. It’s a series of actions that seem automatic. However, brushing your teeth is an actualization of your inner belief that it’s good for you, something instilled in us since childhood. Every time you brush your teeth, it’s an actualization of a combination of factors: your desire for health, your adherence to societal norms, and your ingrained habits.

Habitual behavior, mundane as it may seem, is an actualization of your inner convictions. The path you look most often is the path you end up on. That’s why it is often said that your 3D reality is a lagging measure of your habits.

Your actions, whether conscious or subconscious, are influenced by a complex interplay of desires and programmed behaviors. Your desires, your focus, and even the lens through which you perceive the world, all stem from your inner world. This inner world drives our behavior, which actualizes our self-concept through action. In essence, manifestation is not just about attracting what we want magically; it’s about the tangible actualization of our beliefs and intentions in our everyday lives.

Somewhere in the Middle

Somewhere between these extremes lies a more nuanced explanation: your reality is your consciousness, objectified. Princeton physicist John Wheeler’s musings on information shaping reality resonate here. The law of attraction, the concept that “like attracts like,” suggests that your conscious and subconscious vibrations dictate what you attract. High vibrations align with joy and abundance, while low vibrations breed negativity. In this paradigm, the universe is a mirror, reflecting your internal state to you. Reality serves only as a mirror, and it does not do anything else.

To crystallize this concept, envision a quantum realm where all possibilities exist concurrently. There’s a future version of you living your dream life and all of the other dreams you once had. All this happens in the field, where past, present, and future co-exist. To manifest, your sole task is to tune into the frequency of the version of yourself you want to draw into 3D reality.

Change yourself, and you change the reflection. 3D reality doesn’t precede your self-concept; it emanates from it. Most people think their self-concept comes as a result of them living their life; who they are is a culmination of their experiences. This is not true. For manifestation, someone’s history or current circumstances don’t matter; they can choose to shape a new future, and reality will re-arrange itself to suit the new self-concept. This realization underscores the power—and responsibility—of rewriting your concept of self to sculpt the life you desire.

In other words, it starts with understanding the parts you can control, your programming: your beliefs, self-talk, and perceptions. You’re always engaging in some loop between your inner and external worlds, whether consciously or not. You attract what you are. Your reality mirrors your self-concept. Rewrite that script, and watch the world adjust accordingly.

This definition lies comfortably in the middle of the magical spectrum and it incorporates both sides. It’s a dance-off between your current self-concept versus the self-concept you desire, where the strongest magnetic pull wins the reflection. This definition is the one I work most with, a fusion of magical thinking, actualization, and targeted alignment with the quantum field.

Rules About Manifestation

When some people learn about manifesting, they’re abuzz with NME, or New Manifestation Energy. Signs of NME include euphoria, walking on cloud nine, feeling a surge of confidence, and spending lots of time reading about spirituality. This isn’t a bad thing; joy and gratefulness are high-vibration emotions that attract positive things into your life. But NME becomes a hindrance when it leads to TIME: Trying to Influence Manifestation Exactness. This is when an individual directly or indirectly frets about their lack of control over events. It can show up as any of the following symptoms:

• Waiting with anticipation

• Constantly checking

• Getting impatient

• Complaining internally or out loud to others

• Hyper-fixation on a condition or situation

• Giving up when things don’t pan out as expected

• Expecting things to unfold exactly as they wanted

A mistake is trying to control how and when desires manifest. Some people will even go to great lengths: they’ll hard commit to plans to the point of inflexibility, go out of their way to manipulate, or overthink every little interaction and worry about where it leads. Anytime you embark on a manifestation quest, you should understand this motto:

“You don’t control the ‘how’, and you don’t control the ‘when’”

We are not supposed to know the ‘how’ and ‘when’. We may have an idea of how something can happen or an approximation of when something could happen, but rarely, if ever, will we exercise control and foresight over both. That explains why psychics are limited; they either see life in broad strokes or a small window of time in detail. We aren’t supposed to know everything. Attempting to do so only sets us up for disappointment. As humans, it is our job to live our lives to the best and fullest of our ability.

Looking back on many of my manifestation successes, here’s how things panned out:

1. I saw something or someone I wanted

2. I formalized a desire using the gateways in this guide, but then let my wishes flutter to the back of my mind

3. Coincidences started happening

4. The universe opened doors for me and I took action

5. I ended up with what I wanted

To an outside spectator, I could appear to be incredibly lucky. I am lucky. That is a powerful affirmation for me because it implies a certain level of detachment that allows me to focus on parts I can control — my actions — while the universe works its magic in the background. It means I’m trusting the universe to deliver as long as I do my part, and I’m not fixated on the ‘how’ or the ‘when’.

Another common mistake is measuring progress based on orbiting events and circumstances. In other words, the mistake is always taking reality for face value. If we aren’t supposed to know everything, how can we be so sure something isn’t working? Reality is a lagging measure of our habits. This means changes will happen within us first, and then reality will re-arrange itself in response. Just like how a fitness journey isn’t about looking in a mirror after a single gym session, you wouldn’t want to abandon a manifestation practice too early.

You’ll never know if your next encounter will lead to a lucky break, so keep a consistent openness to receiving. Don’t easily dismiss a possibility just because it’s unlikely. Some of the best stories in life are the ones that surprise us.

The last mistake I’ll mention is, most people don’t recognize when manifestation is working. Do not fall into the trap of skeptics who tell you:

1. You didn’t manifest it, you just worked hard

2. It was a coincidence

3. It would’ve happened anyway

There are plenty of people who work hard and fail. If hard work always results in success, then everybody who works hard should have what they want. This isn’t the case. In fact, it was mathematically proven that this isn’t the case.

Take the inequality of wealth in the United States, for example. Why do so few people have a disproportionate amount of wealth, while the vast majority of people share a small portion of wealth? Why are some rich, while others are poor? Is it because they deserve it? Do rich people work harder? Are they smarter, more talented? Sometimes, yes. But this is also where the concept of luck comes into play.

Mathematically speaking, luck has been quantified. A 2018 Italian study titled “Talent vs Luck: The Role of Randomness in Success and Failure” writes:

“It is very well known that intelligence or talent exhibit a Gaussian distribution among the population, whereas the distribution of wealth - considered a proxy of success - follows typically a power law (Pareto law). Such a discrepancy between a Normal distribution of inputs, with a typical scale, and the scale invariant distribution of outputs, suggests that some hidden ingredient is at work behind the scenes…we suggest that such an ingredient is just randomness.”

In other words, people may end up rich or poor at random, no matter how smart, talented, or hard-working they are. Ever heard of the phrase, “right place, right time?” Randomness accounts for meeting the right people, forming the right connections, and being presented with the right opportunities. Hard work and persistence are important, but maybe it’s only because they maximize peoples’ tickets in the raffle of randomness.

Synchronicity, coincidences, and lucky breaks can be crucial to your outcomes. Therefore, if you believe in manifesting, you should acknowledge and embrace the role of randomness in your successes. Never discard a manifestation practice or let a skeptic discourage your spirituality. Skeptics are usually happy to be skeptics. If you succeed, they tell you any of the three statements I listed above. If you don’t, well, serves you right, in their minds. They have no idea how much the universe can do to bring you your desires.

But enough about the “don’ts” of manifesting. If you want to break free from the cycle of passive participation and actively crafting the life you envision, check out Scientific Manifesting (The IAM Method is the only systematized manifestation development program blending mind-body-spirit training to unlock your biggest potential).