Manifestation and Attraction - How does it work?

[Serpentarius]

I don't understand manifestation and the law of attraction. How does it work? What are the rules to manifest and attract things into your life?
Can you manifest or attract anything you want, or just certain things? If so, why? What are the conditions? How would you know what you can manifest and what you can't? How much time/effort does it take? etc., etc.

It all has been very unclear to me and I would greatly appreciate any relevant input.

[CFTraveler]

I don't understand manifestation and the law of attraction. How does it work? What are the rules to manifest and attract things into your life?

The concept of the LoA aka Manifestation, formerly known as the Law of Mind Action is an extrapolation from a more generalized metaphysical concept- that the physical universe is the expression of a 'Higher Power' aka Spirit, or God, depending on what 'flavor' of religion/philosophy you look at, and that we, as creatures of will, have the ability to create what we experience. The extrapolation or conclusion are based on observation on things that happen and a look at things that are written in scripture(s), and lately in what physics seems to be discovering about physical reality.

The underlying concept in this (and most metaphysics, if you think about it) is that matter is mind expressed, and most metaphysics (I should say 'orthodox' metaphysics, considering how terminology changes) divides the human mind as being divided by three aspects:
Conscious, Subconscious, and Superconscious.
The conscious mind is the part of the mind that you use to observe and form opinions, to doubt and to question. Most decisions are made using this part of your mind.
The subconscious is the part that stores all your memories (where is another theme, please let it be) and retrieves memories- it takes sensory stimulus and sorts it out to store. It's like the data retrieving system. It receives most of its 'instructions' from the conscious mind.
The Superconscious mind- this is the part of your mind that is connected to the Universal Creative Power; which depending on your bent you may call the Higher Self, the Spark of God, or just the creative concept.

In manifestation theory, it is said that the world is constantly being created (and physics supports it, in some of the quantum theory, but that can be addressed in the science part of the forum) and we are the ones who are cocreating all the time.

This doesn't mean that you create the chair you sit on every time you look at it- although early theories of QM 'sort of' implied it (once again, this is sciencey stuff and we're doing metaphysics now) what it means is that all physical reality depends on a consensus interaction of observers that reinforce it, and it all manifests in time and space.

Theoretically it is unknown why God/Us/The Greater Whoever/ decided to manifest reality in the way it does, but some people, a long time ago, either realized or observed that when you put your emotion on a specific outcome combined with the thought of having/doing/manifesting it, there are better chances of it coming to pass than if you simply wish for it.
This was called the Elijah effect (I think it was Gregg Braden's book that called it that) and it basically stated that most ancient prayer manuals always stress that when you pray for something and instill emotion in it that it has a better chance of manifesting.

Now, experiments have been done (there was one in which random number generators were used) that seem to show that focused thought and emotion seems to affect matter- many modern scientists have done them, I can think of Deepak Chopra for example talking about this using medical equipment on tissue samples, and the random generator number one (can't remember who did that one, but I'm sure you can google this).... so it seems that focused attention can affect matter, possibly (as has been theorized by some) as creating patterns in the noosphere (also a metaphysical concept coined by scientists a few years ago) that facilitate changes in material reality.

But back to metaphysics- the theory is that if material reality is shaped by the collective thought patterns that are already existent (aka the noosphere) by applying focused intent coupled with emotion, we can affect the outcome of a situation, sometimes making something happen.
Now, I am not speaking of what some people think as magic 'poof' and you make something appear- I am speaking of a methodology for facilitating an outcome using physical and metaphysical laws.

For example: A lot of our beliefs come from how we experienced reality as young, and this includes beliefs. Some are 'closer to true' than others, and sometimes false beliefs can cause us to either experience certain things more than others, or notice the ones that support our beliefs.
If this is a positive belief (and by that I mean that it supports us) then good- but if it's a negative belief (such as 'life sucks' or Murphy's Law, for example) then it will cause us to make negative decisions that cause us to get into more situations that will support the notion.

Can you manifest or attract anything you want, or just certain things?

It's not a matter of 'what', it's a matter of what you believe, and what you believe about what you want. Oliver (Korpo) just wrote an excellent blog article just about that, you should read it. I think it's called 'If you want something ask for it' or something like that.

For example: Physics say you can't fly, but you can go into a plane and fly in it. Now, the collective mind created a universe in which gravity causes a warp in spacetime because of mass, therefore the human body has too much mass and is attracted to the earth. So to fly we have to use the laws of physics to fly- aerodynamics, engineering, and mechanical disciplines/talents to get around it- and now, if you can afford it, you can fly.
Can you manifest yourself flying by thought?- you betcha, but it may not be in the way you think it is or should be, because the rules say that it takes spacetime to manifest in physical reality.
What can manifesting processes do for you? It can arrange things to happen so that you get a raise, get vacation time and get your honey to decide to go on vacation with you and you may just find yourself flying somewhere.
So it's not a matter of pulling something out of your proverbial 'behind' (although sometimes miracles happen, and that's why they're called miracles), it's a matter of knowing the metaphysical laws that we think rule the universe and learning how to tweak them to your benefit, and hopefully, for everyone else's benefit also.

As to 'how long' it all depends- what are you starting with, what are you trying to do, what are you working with. If you are starting with something that seems impossible and you don't think it will ever be, it's going to take longer than something that you think can be done and you believe you can do.

[Serpentarius]

Now, experiments have been done (there was one in which random number generators were used) that seem to show that focused thought and emotion seems to affect matter

I have read about those experiments. The results have been anything but conclusive. The researchers claimed they had something like 1% success rate. When other groups analyzed those results they came up with success rates even smaller than that - around 0.1%.
0.1%! That's one supposedly non random reading in a thousand! Such small success rate should be well within the margin of error of that experiment.
Here's an article about those experiments: http://skepdic.com/pear.html

Thanks CF for the answer. You seem fairly certain about your position. I would be really grateful if you could tell me how did you come to those conclusions? How do you know it works like that?

Opinions from others are welcomed as well, btw

[CFTraveler]

Thanks CF for the answer. You seem fairly certain about your position.

If by 'position' you mean 'I'm pretty sure it's how things work', then I'd say it's the worldview I've adopted for now, precisely because it works for me.
I believe Tart calls this type of thinking 'provisional belief'.

I don't want to go into a life history, but suffice it to say I've always had what psychologists call 'magical thinking'- that is, the idea that things affect other things in ways that don't seem linearly connected, and my life (as a young person) has been one series of 'things happening to me after I wished for them'- until, in my early forties I came across the LOMA and decided to apply the techniques to stop being a victim and start deciding what happens to me, and ever since it's been completely different.

We all come with different worldviews that we acquire as we grow up and some of them are more helpful than others- I decided to apply what made sense to me (once I cleared away ideas that were not helpful to me) and so far it's worked well.

[Serpentarius]

I'm glad it worked well for you
I personally am not looking for something that works for me though. I am looking for the truth. Cold, hard truth. I want to know how Universe works, how metaphysics fit in. WHICH metaphysics fit in. What works and what is wishful thinking. What are the rules, and there are rules. Even 'no rules' is a rule.
It all works somehow, the Universe I mean. I simply want to know how.

[CFTraveler]

You mean 'want', right?

[ButterflyWoman]

I personally am not looking for something that works for me though. I am looking for the truth. Cold, hard truth.

This is making an assumption that "truth" (whatever that actually is; so far nobody in the history of humanity has been able to define it) is somehow separate from "what works for you". In other words, that "truth" is "out there" somewhere, and you are apart from it.

I want to know how Universe works

I suggest a course in astrophysics.

how metaphysics fit in.

So you're going on the default "Objective Universe With Optional Metaphysical Extras" model. That's a really difficult model to work from, just for the record. It requires a lot of bending and twisting to get stuff to fit.

It all works somehow, the Universe I mean. I simply wont to know how.

Well, that's a worthy goal. But you're not that likely to find answers from or within the model you're using. Generally speaking, this kind of comprehensive view requires some shifts in perspective before any progress is made.

And if I'm speaking in riddles, I apologise. It's difficult to articulate what I'm trying to say. But the bottom line is, so long as your basic framework is grounded in the default model, you're going to have a difficult time achieving your goal, because much of the accepted pillars of the default model of reality block the answers you're looking for.

[DarkChylde]

the theory is that if material reality is shaped by the collective thought patterns that are already existent (aka the noosphere) by applying focused intent coupled with emotion, we can affect the outcome of a situation, sometimes making something happen.

what C told us is .......in a word? "amazing"

[Giorgia]

In manifestation theory, it is said that the world is constantly being created (and physics supports it, in some of the quantum theory, but that can be addressed in the science part of the forum) and we are the ones who are cocreating all the time.

This doesn't mean that you create the chair you sit on every time you look at it- although early theories of QM 'sort of' implied it (once again, this is sciencey stuff and we're doing metaphysics now) what it means is that all physical reality depends on a consensus interaction of observers that reinforce it, and it all manifests in time and space.

These implications of quantum machanics make you think about a subjective reality and the analogy of reality as a dream world .
I was reading an article about these implications of quantum physics, it's well written i think ,easy to understand .

http://www.shenvi.org/Essays/QuantumMechanics.htm

[Neil Templar]

I personally am not looking for something that works for me though. I am looking for the truth. Cold, hard truth. I want to know how Universe works, how metaphysics fit in. WHICH metaphysics fit in. What works and what is wishful thinking. What are the rules, and there are rules. Even 'no rules' is a rule.
It all works somehow, the Universe I mean. I simply want to know how.

How about getting on with experimenting with it then?
What works for you, is your personal truth.
Your truth doesn't have to be the same as mine, or anyone else's, for it to be true.
It seems to me, you're asking for a meta-physical answer, but you want it to come in a form that fits within the physical reality you believe to be the truth.
There is no cold hard truth. There are 7 Billion individual truths, being perceived by a single human each.

For me, manifestation has become easy.
I don't try to manifest, as if manifesting is something i can make happen, by sheer force of will, or focused thoughts.
I'm sure that path would yield results, but i don't reckon they'd be the quickest or most useful results.
I simply ask, sometimes quietly, to myself. Sometimes aloud, vocally. Sometimes publicly, perhaps on my facebook status.
I make a request, for the desired outcome, whether that be a new bike i need to get around cheaper, or more money coming my way. A suitable partner, or some information regarding something i need to know about.
I request the desired outcome, then step out of the way, and trust the Universe to do the work.
I trust the Universe (or my higher self, i see no difference, as i believe we are co-creators with and of the Universe) to know exactly what i need. I don't try to tell the Universe how to go about fulfilling my needs, as i truly don't know. If i did, i wouldn't be asking for help, would i?
I simply make the request, and let it get on with it.
The results can be astounding. Sometimes within a few minutes, sometime a year later, and never in the way i would have expected, had i had any expectations.
And that's the key - get rid of expectations.
Expectations, will only create resistance. Resistance to the Universe's quickest easiest path.
It'll utilise the people around you. It'll utilise your environment. It'll utilise your awareness. It'll bring opportunities your way, but if you're not aware enough, they might just slip on by, when the Universe has set them up perfectly for you...

I'd suggest getting over this idea that you need to know how it works. It works however it needs to work.
Get yourself (ego) out of the picture, and you'll find better results.
Try it.