I wish I believed in manifestation… But I can’t.
I think it belongs in cartoons and childplay; Not in any belief system that can be taken seriously.
It’s like the Easter bunny or Santa Claus: the only people who believe them are either children too young to know better, or utterly delusional folks who “want to believe” at all costs.
Maybe the above sounds judgemental, and in all fairness, I won’t be surprised in case I offend the “law of attraction” crowd with this article. It’s ok, I’m just exposing my own opinion, and people are free to react to it. In my defense, though, I’m calling these people delusional BUT I’m not calling them dangerous. There’s no danger in tricking your mind into believing what you want to believe when it’s a positive thing. Who doesn’t like a jolly old fella giving presents? Who doesn’t like a cute little fluffball hopping about with Easter eggs? Similarly, who doesn’t like the idea of commanding your harmless wishes into becoming a reality with the power of good vibes alone? It ain’t hurting anybody. Feel free to join any of the three crowds. More power to you.
I would have been more cautious with what I just said if we were in the early 2000s. It’s 2025, though. Most of the conversation you see TODAY regarding manifestation emphasises the importance of things like: letting go; Releasing your desire after you ask; Staying mindful of divine timing, divine plans for you which are out of your control; Not mistaking manifestation (individual) with real justice (collective). Back in the early 2000s when Rhonda Byrne’s book came out, there was none of that! The “law of attraction” was a new idea, and everybody was a lot more inconsequential and self-centered about it. So, keep this in mind for context. Today (2025), I don’t think there’s the same potential harm there used to be in believing you can manifest your wishes. That’s why I said, “more power to you” if you choose that.
My objections aren’t exactly moral. They come from a place of maturity. I’m not a very childlike person, ergo, I don’t think I can reconcile something as twee as manifestation with my zero-bullshit outlook on life. I’m not youthful enough for it, if you will. I keep saying this and will repeat: in the inside, I’m probably an old lady; a Chrone. I was never a Maiden archetype, thank god, it doesn’t fit me at all.
So, first things first: why did I compare it to childplay?
No, this isn’t from a place of condescension. Before you get mad at me, take a look at the explanation below.
Maybe this will surprise you, but I’m usually happy with giving toddlers the respect they deserve. Just because they’re young, it doesn’t mean we should dismiss their ideas and imagination. In fact, they have a lot to teach adults.
What I am saying when I compare childplay to manifestation, and say neither is to be taken seriously, is literally just that: neither should be taken seriously. They’re both a bit of fun, useful for relaxing and unwinding and letting your creativity run wild. There’s no “weight”, no seriousness to these activities. And there shouldn’t be! Ever. That’s not what they are about.
When a child picks up a toy cup and makes a pretend “drink” using water and some sand from the playground to give to their doll, that doesn’t necessarily mean the child will drink it, themselves. Instead, this child knows it’s a pretend game, and probably can’t wait for the REAL milkshake mammy is preparing in the kitchen.
Children are playful, not dumb. (Or, well, too young to play unsupervised. Toys have age indications for a good reason).
So, no hate on children. Okay?
Now: when it comes to belief in the “law of attraction”, this is something adults usually get into. That’s why I can’t help but be a bit weirded out. There’s a difference between child play, where you’re open about the fact you’re just playing, VS a belief that the universe somehow reciprocates your desires. The latter, in my view, is where an actual delusion comes online. I’m not saying anyone’s manifestation stories are fake (necessarily), but there’s always an air of… mental gymnastics (?) and reaching to believe in a fake correlation/causation link (?) that goes into it.
This is to say: good for you if you manifested whatever it is you said you manifested. The end result is something I’m more than willing to celebrate with anyone who tells me their story. The only thing I won’t do is agree that it was “because of commanding it into existence with your thoughts”, because usually there are a bunch of alternative explanations that are getting dismissed or not considered at all. What’s wrong with just getting lucky? What’s wrong with putting effort into a thing and getting the expected result? Those are reasons for celebration, no doubt. I just don’t understand this fascination people have with magical thinking.
Also, there’s another elephant in the room:
Just like a sand-and-water pretend “milkshake” isn’t a real milkshake, asking the universe for a specific result and getting something that’s only vaguely related to your wish isn’t a real manifestation.
When you go to a restaurant, order steak with vegetables, and receive a plate of roast chicken with fries instead, do you thank the waiter enthusiastically because you “received what you needed”? Only in delulu-land.
Let’s imagine an even more absurd scenario where you and the waiter start getting into a debate about what nutrients your body is really in need of, regardless of what you paid for. Productive? Possibly! But in the end of the day, you paid for the steak. And you didn’t receive the steak. That’s it, period.
If you’re shopping for clothing, spot a very nice red shirt but the sales assistant removes it from your hand and gives you a purple one instead because “this is what you truly need, regardless of your specific want”, do you smile and say “yes, thank you, you must know better”?
You’ve ordered a package, and there’s a delay of many weeks past the expected date for it to arrive at your doorstep. Do you go out of your way to leave a positive review at the courier’s website with some fluffy words about “divine timing” and “what a humbling experience” that was?
Yeah, I bet no. I bet you said no to all of the above. You CAN be the bigger person and accept the mix-up without complaint… But you DO NOT give a big enthusiastic thanks to the person who mixed it up.
Neither do manifestors, as far as I’m aware. The “thanking” I alluded to is a metaphor of the belief itself: it’s the stories you tell yourself in order to keep validating over and over again the narrative that “manifestation is real, because look what happened” (insert here story that doesn’t truly match what you asked for).
Look, I’m not encouraging anyone to be a difficult customer anywhere or complain about a mix-up every single time. I would be a hypocrite if I did, because usually I just take what was given to me as far as it’s a good enough “second best” option or I like it as much as the thing I was hoping to get anyway. I’m not super picky. There’s wisdom in being flexible where you can, and understanding that shite happens. You can’t always get what you want. Okay, that’s grand.
…But going from this place of acceptance and flexibility towards a place of COMPLETELY CHANGING your very first wish inside your mind because “it must match” what you wish because “you said so” is a bit of a leap, don’t you think? It can open doors for you to gaslight yourself. It gives a vibe of “no matter what, I want to believe that I get the things I ask for even when I don’t”. I don’t love this mindset, it does not spark joy to me.
I mean, sure, maybe you asked for something stupid or something that wouldn’t be good for you. I’m not arguing with that! We sometimes regret our wishes. But you can’t co-create with the universe if you’re the one who is usually caving and giving in. That sounds more like passively accepting what you’re given and making the most of it. It’s wise! But it’s not “asking for” and “receiving”. Let’s stop deluding ourselves that one thing equals the other. Either you get what you asked for, or you don’t get what you asked for, and sure, you can make the most of both scenarios if you’re a functional adult with enough maturity (hurray! Good job! Let’s all do that!), but don’t you agree they are different scenarios? And don’t you agree there’s randomness to how often one or the other collapses into your reality? Like… You don’t have any real control. Who would have thought! It’s not real, it’s just a feel-good narrative. Manifestation is like childplay. I rest my case.
This doesn’t mean “magic” doesn’t exist. It does… Just not like that.
Again, take a look at who I am. I’d be a hypocrite if I told you I don’t believe in magic.
In fact, let’s contrast manifestation with divination. What’s the #1 thing people look for when consulting an oracle? Simple: an answer to their question. They can’t demand a specific answer (that’s commanding the oracle to say what you want to hear, and no, you can’t do that), but the answer must relate to what was asked. As in: if your question is time-bound, say, it relates to a specific event in a near future (for example, “how will it unfold? Will it be good or bad?”), it’s reasonable to expect an oracle about that one particular day; Not upcoming and similar events; Not totally tangential stuff that “you need to know but didn’t ask”.
An oracle who answers your question with a totally unrelated answer is simply inaccurate and unprofessional. That is to say, even if it’s a little cryptic, it should still make sense in the context. Otherwise, we’re changing the subject; and changing the subject is not what oracles do. It’s not our place. Who cares if someone asked a “stupid” question? It deserves an answer nonetheless. I can’t be arrogant and step all over someone’s boundaries by providing unsolicited info that I believe is “better for them”. I’m not their mother, lol, I respect people’s sovereignty to ask what THEY deem is best. This is nothing personal, just business.
This is why I have faith in divination. This is why I happily accepted to walk this path. It’s not chaotic. There are checks and balances to keep me accountable, to make sure I’m always “hitting the bull’s eye” so to speak. If I’m inaccurate (it can happen! I’m human and fallible, I misinterpret things), I’m more than happy to give my customer some kind of compensation. What I definitely WILL NOT do in case of inaccuracy is gaslight or manipulate them.
In the end, this is all to say you need a certain kind of personality in order to be enthusiastic about manifestation. Definitely not mine, that’s for sure.
