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| Is Manifestation a Scam? New Research Reveals Shocking Risks Behind the Popular Trend |
Manifestation is the belief that through positive self-talk, visualization, and acting as if one's goals have already been achieved, success can be attracted into one's life. By May 2023, TikTok videos with the hashtag 'manifestation' had collectively amassed over 34.6 billion views, as noted by Lucas J. Dixon and colleagues from the University of Queensland in a recent study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Despite its widespread popularity and potential influence on the behaviors of millions, there has been limited academic research on the concept of manifestation until recently.
However, new findings from the research team (Newyork) indicate that individuals who strongly believe in manifestation principles—referred to as 'manifesters'—may be at greater risk for negative outcomes, such as bankruptcy.
To conduct their study, the researchers developed, tested, and validated a scale to measure beliefs in manifestation. This 11-item scale features two sub-scales. The first, the 'personal power' dimension, examines the extent to which an individual endorses statements like, "Visualizing a successful outcome draws it closer to me," "I am more likely to attract success if I act as if it has already occurred," and "I can bring success into existence through positive self-talk."
The second sub-scale focuses on beliefs surrounding 'cosmic collaboration,' which is another essential aspect of manifestation. It features statements like "I bring success into my life with the assistance of the universe or a higher power," "I request success from a higher power or the universe," and "I align myself with cosmic energies or forces to attract success."
The scale was developed and tested using a sample of 306 U.S.-based adults. The findings showed that scores were not significantly related to factors such as age, gender, or income, and about 35% of participants expressed some level of belief in manifestation principles.
A follow-up study involving 348 American participants revealed that beliefs in manifestation were somewhat aligned with other related constructs, like 'karmic justice'—the idea that people's actions are ultimately rewarded or punished. However, scores on the new scale were more strongly associated with support for well-known proponents of manifestation, such as Rhonda Byrne, the author of The Secret, and Oprah Winfrey.
Further analysis indicated that participants who believed in manifestation tended to view themselves as more successful and were more optimistic about their future success, even when there was a significant gap between their current and expected levels of success. Yet, data from the initial study suggested these beliefs might be misguided, as the manifesters did not show higher success in terms of income or educational attainment.
In another study, involving 375 American participants, the team explored other experiences and decision-making patterns among manifesters. Dixon and his team discovered that manifesters were more inclined to take financial risks, like investing in cryptocurrency, even though they were not more likely to participate in the stock market. Manifesters were also more inclined to believe in the possibility of getting rich quickly and were more likely to have experienced bankruptcy.
Manifesters were additionally more likely to believe that their unique skills, qualities, or talents could eventually lead to earning $300,000 per year, building a fanbase of over 100,000 followers, and receiving recognition for positively impacting the lives of thousands. The researchers designed this scenario to represent 'unlikely success,' suggesting that manifesters may be particularly susceptible to schemes promising unrealistic outcomes.
While forms of magical thinking, like manifestation, may help maintain optimism in pursuit of goals, the researchers caution that setting unrealistic objectives or persisting despite evidence that such persistence may be unwise could be harmful. The belief system associated with manifestation might encourage reframing failures as signs that one is not yet in "vibrational alignment" with their goals or that "delays from a higher power are not denials." While reframing setbacks can help cope with failure, it may also lead to denial or unrealistic expectations.
The study acknowledges several limitations. The participant sample consisted solely of Americans, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other cultures or countries. Moreover, the researchers suggest that manifesters may report higher success and anticipated success in the future simply due to their belief in manifestation, responding in ways they think will lead to success. Future studies might consider using objective measures of success rather than relying on self-reports. Additionally, the study is correlational, meaning that the exact relationships between the factors examined will require further exploration.
