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Asked by anon-283830 on 9 Mar 2021.
Question: Do you personally believe in manifestation and how our thoughts create our reality?
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anon answered on 9 Mar 2021: last edited 9 Mar 2021 1:45 pm
Hi Leah,
Very interesting question thing brins into the mix an argument that has been pondered by philosophers and now psychologists for many years – is there objective world outside the context of our brain? Or is everything experienced relative and subjective – which would in turn imply that yes, we can create our own reality from thoughts alone (if correct).
I think a great demonstration of the line between thoughts, emotions and the brain is the evidence from smiling. Simply smiling (no matter how dull or sad the occasion) sends signals to our brains that we are happy, which, in turn actually effects our emotions positively! And vice versa with frowning. So if we look it at this way, yes, in some respects we can create our own reality (though not to a huge effect)
If you also consider the ‘placebo effect’, which has been shown time and time again (including Derren Brown!) the power of beliefs in manifesting your expectations. We think that we will feel pain if we take this pill, and this in turn makes us feel pain, even though it is simply a sugar pill! This can also be flipped the other way with easing pain.
I am still not convinced that there is only subjectivity in the world/brain, but I am happy to stand corrected from the science one day!
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Anon answered on 9 Mar 2021:
This is such an interesting question Leah! I think think that our thoughts can contribute to our reality, within the confines of what is within our control. It’s a bit like the idea of ‘fake it until you make it! If you think positively about yourself and the things you want to achieve, then you are more likely to do the things that will make this come about. If you think of yourself as being successful in your job, you are more likely to act confidently, share your opinion, impress other people and actually be successful!
I think there are limits to this, though. Some people can take it to extremes and think that the power of belief alone can make them rich or cure an illness. This is unhelpful and can even be dangerous because it can encourage people not to seek help when they need it, and also to blame themselves and others for suffering that is outside of their control. We live in a very unequal society, if thoughts alone could bring us health and riches this would not be the case and we would all be living perfect lives.
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Harry Piper answered on 9 Mar 2021:
This is a really interesting question and I certainly think our thoughts can shape our reality. One example of this might be if you’ve had a fight with someone, and when you go back to talk to them , everything they say seems to be mean or intended to offend you! In objective reality, they may just be talking in a way they are used to talking, and you are interpreting the scenario based on your thoughts and this could lead to other problems. In relation to my research, having hands in pockets is considered threatening by members of the police. Now imagine why this might be – it could be a lack of compliance (refusing to show hands despite requests), it could be your hands are chilly! Or, as the police could think, you may be hiding a weapon in your pocket. The reality of the person with hands in pockets is that the police are asking you to show your hands, but they are chilly so you are refusing because there is no reason for them to think anything of it. The reality for the police is that the subject is noncompliant, is posing threatening behaviour and could attack. The objective reality is the same, but the way the thoughts of each person go create different scenarios!
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Dennis Relojo-Howell answered on 9 Mar 2021:
Hi leah. I will link this with my current research project (resilience among adolescents). First, manifesting resilience involves identifying your beliefs and bringing them into actual existence. According to research, adolescents are likely to manifest resilience if they have role models. A number of studies have demonstrated that while it’s great to have inspirational models from the public arena (e.g., Nicholas Vujicic, the motivational speaker who don’t have arms and legs), it is far more effective if adolescents can see role models who are immediate to them (their parents, a classmate, a teacher, etc.)
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David McGonigle answered on 9 Mar 2021:
Not personally, no, Leah – sorry! However – just like astrology – I think it’s something that we’d all secretly want to be true! It’s one of those ideas that sounds harmless and a bit fun, but it can be really damaging for people who believe in it. The idea that just thinking or believing enough in an idea or a goal is sufficient to affect physical reality is really, really, appealing – especially when you’re down on your luck emotionally, financially, or spiritually. It’s often called the ‘post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy’ (essentially, ‘after this therefore because of this’). It’s really all about the mistakes that we all make in linking events that really have no connection or ‘causal power’ (the ability for one thing to directly cause another to happen). But while I said that I don’t believe in the more extreme take on this theory that you suggest, Leah, it still influences our lives, whether we want it to or not. Some of us will only do an exam when they have their ‘lucky mascot’ with them. Other people may only get on a plane if they have their ‘special’ socks on. We’re all irrational in small doses – that’s what makes studying psychology fascinating!
the mistaken belief that we can all have in linking two unrelated events that ‘seem’ to have some connection.
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