Can you get anything you want by asking the universe? Bridging the gap between spirituality and psychology on manifestation and the law of attraction
What differentiates hope from wishful thinking and how does psychology align with concepts such as manifestation and law of attraction? Here's what I think. And also a list of some of my beliefs.
About ten years ago, I stumbled upon a YouTube video about the law of attraction. At the time, I was single and wondering why I couldn’t meet someone worthwhile and started following online dating gurus who offered advice on how to meet the love of your life. One of those journeys led me to this video. In the video, a lady in her 50s or 60s, dressed in a nineties pantsuit, is speaking to a conference room full of people about the vibration we possess as human beings.
The lady is called Esther Hicks and in the video, she takes the presence of a “source energy” she calls Abraham Hicks. In his presence, she holds a keynote speech about how the vibration of our thoughts determines what we attract in life. To summarise, she argues that we must bring ourselves to the vibrational frequency of that which we are asking for.
If we want more money, we must bring ourselves to the vibrational frequency of having money instead of lacking it. If we want to find the love of our lives, we must bring ourselves to the vibrational frequency of having the love of our lives. If you’re wondering what vibrational frequency means, it refers to quantum physics and the idea that all that exists consists of energy and vibrates on a specific frequency.
The concept of vibration is popular in spiritual circles. According to many spiritual gurus, the more enlightened one comes, the higher their frequency. And the higher frequency attracts things and people who are on the same frequency.
Did watching the video help me find the love of my life? No, at least not in that moment. However, throughout the years I have come to accept that the presence I put out into the world often reflects the presence I get back. And the dreams I express out loud often come true. The things I’ve manifested on vision boards or journal entries have often become my reality. As I’ve grown as a person, I’ve started to attract people who match my growth.
So when I watched the video, I wasn’t completely against the idea as such. And regardless of the video’s less-than-mediocre image quality, abstract language and cult-like atmosphere, I wanted to give the idea of LoA a chance.
I started looking into Esther Hicks and the other people who were talking about the LoA. I found out that Hicks is the author of a 2004 book called Ask and it is given and that she believes herself to be the conduit for the energy of Abraham Hicks, a non-physical entity that offers spiritual guidance. She’s also the founder of a company called Abraham Hicks Publications, which organises events and online programs about the law of attraction.
To be honest, there’s a lot in Hicks’ story that sounds quite cringy to anyone who represents a scientific worldview or is highly critical of cult leaders.
However, Hicks is not the only person spreading the joy of the LoA. The theory can also be found in The Secret, a highly criticised 2006 documentary film and self-help book by Rhonda Byrnes which focuses on the idea that asking and believing will result in receiving anything you want in life.
Since the early 2000’s, the theory of the LoA has been recycled by different spiritual leaders, coaches and influencers, and it has been coined into new buzzwords such as manifestation theory or the lucky girl syndrome – a TikTok phenomenon from the spring of 2023. Similar worldviews are being distributed by world-known business gurus and speakers from Tony Robbins to Deepak Chopra, from Gabrielle Bernstein to Oprah. And in my personal experience, by quite a few yoga and meditation teachers everywhere.
Many people have even tried to bring these concepts to a more scientific space to add to their credibility.
In 2019, a motivational speaker and business mentor Suzanne Adams, stood on a TEDx stage and explained how different emotions vibrate on different frequencies of the Hertz vibration scale. This video has 3.1M views on Youtube. Later on, the TEDx organisation flagged this video with a disclaimer saying: “This talk only represents the speaker’s personal understanding of quantum physics and energy. The concepts discussed in this talk are not based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence or research.”
Yet, the video still gets a lot of views.
The evidence-base behind LoA and manifestation and vibrational frequency is very, very light or non-existent. Yet, the idea of asking, believing and receiving allures us.
It’s as if we’re afraid of saying we want to believe in these concepts (because they have no scientific credibility) but without telling anyone, we’re still a bit curious about whether or not they could be true.
So, why are we so attracted to the idea of the law of attraction? Because it’s a hope-inducing theory. It stops us from wallowing in what’s not right with our lives but elevates our mental state to something more optimistic. In times when a lot of people are struggling financially/mentally/socially, it’s relieving to believe that adopting a “lucky-girl mindset” could make me rich, popular, loved, and feel like I’m finally enough.
Wanting to believe in LoA and manifestation theories is similar to our desire to believe in any spiritual or religious theory. It gives us peace of mind – something that no amount of data or evidence can ever give.
Instead of constantly thinking about the work we need to put into every single aspect of our lives, it gives us permission to lean back and let the world unfold in front of us. It makes us believe that if we just take care of our own energies, the world will work for us and not against us.
The psychological response to manifestation and the law of attraction
If we move away from the mystical sphere of pseudoscience and cult-like movements and look into a more Western, research-based view on personal development and hope, we find that psychology and the law of attraction are not completely at odds with one another.
They use two very different vocabularies and styles of communication but both believe our thoughts do play a role in narrating our futures.
Martin Seligman, a pioneer in positive psychology has produced a large body of work on how focusing on our strengths can be a more effective way to cure mental health problems than focusing on the problems. He has concluded that positive emotions are a foundation for our well-being.
Also, academic studies can show that
➡️ positive thinking can improve resilience and quality of life.
So scientists and spiritual leaders agree on the fact that positive thinking lies at the core of positive outcomes in life.
If we start from the belief that positive thoughts can encourage positive outcomes, the next question is: if we just ask the universe for what we want, will we be showered with success?
Again, let’s look at the psychology behind beliefs and belief systems.
It’s generally accepted that humans make sense of the world according to the beliefs they hold about the world. This is what differentiates cultures from another and different social groups from one another. Two people can look the same, be the same age, and have the same health but think very differently because of the beliefs they hold and cherish. To one person, the world is a scary place full of suffering whilst another person thinks there’s a positive surprise around every corner.
Belief systems are cultural and psychological constructs that shape our ability to envision our futures. Their roots lie in our environments, social spheres, cultures, knowledge and past experiences. Some psychologists, such as Professor Carol Dweck from the University of Standford, have convincing arguments about how our beliefs shape the opportunities and successes we can enjoy in our lives. Her growth mindset theory states that people who believe they’re not limited by their past, their current circumstances or the talents they have can achieve greater success in life than those who hold a fixed mindset, ie. believe that they cannot move past what they have been given. People with a growth mindset believe they can rise to any occasion and this growth often leads to success.
So, science and spiritualism are again quite aligned when it comes to the value of believing in receiving. Science is just a bit more detailed on the matter: instead of believing that a random thing will just happen, we should believe in ourselves as the key drivers of our success.
Personal agency is an unavoidable ingredient in the recipe of getting what we want
The last argument associated with the LoA and manifestation theories relates to the methods we use to turn our wishes and beliefs into desirable outcomes. Can asking and manifesting things in the universe, in the shape of vision boards, prayers or meditation actually lead to tangible, real-life results?
The answer is, that many people have tried this and failed. The internet is full of stories of people who practiced the law of attraction, manifested their dreams, kept on believing despite what anyone was saying and didn’t succeed. For example, I read a story of a startup founder who kept believing that his company was going to be a success and dismissed all the feedback he got from the actual users of the product and eventually failed. He thought that just believing in success would make it happen.
When you read these stories, it’s easy to point out the one thing that’s missing from them: personal agency.
This brings us back to the hope theory. According to the hope researcher Shane Lopez, the idea of hope is grounded in the belief that the future will be better than the present. His theory includes the following statements:
1) the future will be better than the present
2) I have the power to make it so
3) there are many paths to my goals
4) none of them is free of obstacles
As we can see, the LoA or manifesting only gets us to stage 1 of developing a hopeful mindset. In order to sustain a hopeful mindset and see results, we need to also follow stages 2, 3 and 4. We need to understand our own agency and take the necessary actions to deliver the future we wish to see.
Creating a better future – whatever it means – is unlikely to happen if we don’t accept our own responsibility and accountability. Even if you believe in the powers of the universe, I think it’s safe to say that even the universe wants to you to express commitment to the things you really want. And commitment is easiest expressed by taking action.
How can we make sure that the positive vibes and actions we put out into the world are reciprocated?
This piece of writing has concluded that holding positive beliefs about the future and about the world is important and conducive to a happy and hopeful life.
We’ve also learned that there’s value in believing and hoping for the best and maintaining a positive mindset whilst we put in the effort to create the future we want to see for ourselves. In addition, I definitely think that being vocal about our wishes and dreams is a good thing. We should tell the universe, our friends and our bosses what we want in life and where we’d like to grow stronger.
Speaking about our deepest wishes brings us respectful and satisfying relationships and increases the chances of someone helping us achieve our goals. Whether you do this in a spiritual way (vision boards or manifesting practices) or in a more worldly way (a LinkedIn post or coaching session) doesn’t matter.
Doing all of the above will help us feel more optimistic. Will it guarantee that we’ll get what we ask for? No. Nothing can ever guarantee that.
And when it comes to spiritual development, I’m not sure if asking for money or material success is even what we should be doing. In the end, the goal of spiritual development is to be content with less and understand that life itself is a gift. Connecting with higher powers might be easier if you do it without asking for 100 000 units of currency in your bank account.
We must also accept that all things in life aren’t necessarily meant for us. Whereas someone in our friend group might be blessed with three healthy children, another might be blessed with an interesting career, and some of us are blessed with the wisdom that comes only from living through adversity.
The best way to get what we want in life is to remember to be grateful for what we already have and not take anything for granted. Only then we can start to envision the futures we’d like to see for ourselves and see if those things are aligned with our life’s path. Sometimes, by taking action and with the right timing, we’ll get exactly what we wanted. Other times, no amount of hard work will get us there. But it might still teach us a lesson or show us a new path that is better for us.
Actions that come from a good place will always have value.
Taking action is attractive in itself.
P.S. Below you’ll find a list of beliefs I practice to attract what I want in life. What are yours?
If you enjoyed this post, I’m sure you’ll enjoy my online course. It teaches you how to become the most hopeful person in the room and take actions that support a positive future for yourself and for others. Read more here.
Become the hope you wish to feel in this world.
With kindness,
Aurora