In my last article "On The Secret and the Law of Attraction", I argued that the so-called ‘law of attraction’ is not a law in the normal sense of the word. However, this does not necessarily mean that the process of manifestation doesn't work. In this article, I look at the evidence for the effectiveness of manifestation, and some possible scientific mechanisms for its operation.

EVIDENCE FOR MANIFESTATION

As I noted in my last article, the support for manifestation is largely anecdotal, but there are at least a couple of strands of more solid evidence. One is research on prayer, particularly healing prayer. The results are controversial, but there is some evidence for its effectiveness. A brief review by Dr Peter Fenwick, written in 2004, can be found on the website of the UK’s Royal Society of Pyschiatrists. (www.rcpsych.ac.uk/PDF/fenwick_%208_4_04.pdf)

A second area of relevant research concerns the production and effects of endorphins in the brain as described by William Bloom in "The Endorphin Effect". Endorphins are a family of natural opiates produced in the cells of all living things. They produce feelings of physical pleasure and well-being, kill pain, reduce tension, help wounds and diseased tissue to heal, and boost the immune system. It has been scientifically demonstrated that positive feelings and thoughts increase production of endorphins, thus making us feel good, reducing our stress and improving our physical, psychological and emotional health. Because we feel better our behaviour changes, and we become better at handling life’s challenges, envisaging what we want and achieving our goals. Sound familiar? From here, William develops practical exercises for boosting a positive frame of mind and endorphin production.

The other evidence for manifestation that I am aware of is all anecdotal or comes from personal experience and must be treated with caution. People are naturally more inclined to tell of their successes than their failures, thus potentially giving a false impression of the success rate. But, as philosopher Dale Jamieson was quoted in New Scientist as saying in a different context: “The evidence of a single anecdote may not be very scientific but the plural of anecdote is data.” In other words, if there are enough extraordinary stories of manifestation, this suggests that something is going on.

Psychologist Stanislav Grof and mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote dramatic accounts of successful shamanic rain-making ceremonies in which they participated (See Grof "The Holotropic Mind"). As Grof noted, it is highly unlikely that so many cultures would have continued to use rain ceremonies if they never worked, and shamans would soon lose their credibility if they often failed.

In my time here in the Findhorn Community, I have seen quite a few remarkable examples of manifestation which incline me to believe there is something in it. One is the recently built Art Centre. Randy Klinger persistently and consistently applied the principles of manifestation to this Centre for a decade, and has been a shining example of the practice of heartfelt gratitude for even the tiniest contribution. In the process, he has gained the support of many eminent people from the UK arts scene, raised the equivalent of over US$1m, and been gifted state-of-the-art energy and lighting equipment. This is a remarkable achievement for someone who was virtually unknown and living in a New Age community in the remote north of Scotland. A similar example is Thomas Warrior who held the vision of a Buddhist retreat centre here. When a suitable large house came on the market, someone turned up who was willing to lend a large part of the US$3m purchase price. At a more personal level are many stories of individuals who have manifested cars, jobs, travel funds, relationships and other things.

SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS OF MANIFESTATION

One of the reasons that manifestation is so strongly criticised is that there is no known physical mechanism by which it could work. However, there are some theoretical perspectives that shed light on the process.

"The Secret" alludes to a basis in quantum physics but doesn’t explain what this is. It is commonly believed in New Age circles that quantum physics proves the influence of mind over matter at the sub-atomic level. However, this is only one interpretation of quantum physics, and is far from being accepted by all physicists. The search continues for ways to get around this effect and find alternative explanations. Very few physicists believe that consciousness affects matter at the macro-scale of everyday life at which manifestation takes place. And many physicists complain about the distortions promulgated by New Age believers.

The process of manifestation described by the film actually fits the classical scientific model of an atomistic universe better than it does systems sciences, or quantum and relativity physics. In essence, "The Secret" portrays us as isolated beings who experience a sense of lack which we try to fill. Our thoughts and desires then act like magnets drawing corresponding but separate things, beings and events towards us through space and time.

But rather than a universe of isolated objects and independent events, modern science sees all existence as one interconnected and interactive whole. From this perspective, whatever I do or manifest has effects that ripple outwards to those around me and my environment. Ultimately, my actions may affect the whole universe, like ripples from a stone spreading across the whole surface of a still pond. And I in turn am affected by the ripples from manifestation by myriad other sentient beings.

This sense of connection and oneness arises in both quantum and relativity physics. It has been experimentally demonstrated that after sub-atomic particles have become entangled by interacting, they respond instantly to each other’s changes of state no matter how far apart they may be. And quantum theory suggests that particles of matter continuously emerge from and disappear back into an underlying field. Similarly, relativity sees matter as nothing more than locations at which spacetime is tightly curved.

David Bohm is often cited for his idea that the quantum field contains an ‘implicate order’, or hidden blueprint, that unfolds into the ‘explicate order’ that we experience as the material universe. Ervin Laszlo similarly suggested that the psi field, as he called it, contains a memory of everything that has ever happened encoded in its complex wave patterns – a scientific version of the akashic record. And in my book, "The Science of Oneness", I argued that the fundamental stuff of existence is cosmic Consciousness rather than matter or energy. Collectively, these ideas sketch the unproven outlines of ways by which mind may influence matter in the process of manifestation.

Very similar ideas arise from systems sciences at normal spatial scales. These have revealed that ‘everything is connected to everything else’, although the number and strength of connections varies enormously. Importantly, self-organising systems – which are common - are often very sensitive to small disturbances which may trigger an avalanche of unpredictable change that transforms the system. The most popular illustration of this is the story of the butterfly that flapped its wings in Beijing one day, thus causing a storm in Washington a week later. Again, this provides a possible, explanation for the effectiveness of manifestation. Our thoughts and consequent behaviours may unleash creative changes within the systems of which we are part. And positive thoughts and actions are more likely to push the system in the desired direction than are negative ones. The Secret did not even hint at this mechanism.

The endorphin effect described in the last section is another illustration of the fact that explanations for manifestation need not necessarily invoke abstruse physics or esoteric spiritual phenomena. In my last post on how we create the future, I gave many examples of how mind interacts with matter. I believe that most of what we create in our lives that is often attributed to the magical powers of manifestation and the law of attraction may have quite mundane explanations. For instance, when we are healthy and feel positive about ourselves and life, our body language and interpersonal behaviour reflect that vitality and self-confidence. Quite naturally people respond accordingly. Just imagine how you react to a person who is depressed compared to a cheerful extrovert. And these positive experiences snowball just as The Secret claims – not for esoteric reasons but because other peoples’ responses make us feel even better, so they respond even more positively, and so it goes on.

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In my next article, I will look at manifestation as a co-creative rather than individual process. I will also explore the meaning of abundance, manifestation as a spiritual practice, and the danger of blaming the victim.