BONUS: Manifestation

In this bonus episode of Shift Happens, we take a closer look at manifestation, mindset, and identity, building on our previous conversation around meditation and mindfulness. We explore different perspectives on manifestation, including thoughts on figures like Joe Dispenza, and discuss how shifting your thinking can influence your actions and habits.

We also unpack the role of identity change, belief systems, and spirituality, and why the language around manifestation can feel helpful for some and limiting for others. This episode offers a balanced, practical take on manifestation and how it may (or may not) support personal growth.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Kind of, I suppose, manifestation versus science.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Or slash science.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Which which way you want to do it?

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Exactly, whichever you way you want to see it, really, I suppose. And then you said to me in reply when I mentioned that, you said, Oh, this is going to be like a debate. Interesting. Why do you think that?

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Um but I think we do both come at it from a different point of view. Well, I guess from our own kind of ways of being.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Yeah, this is totally jobs aside, I would say, careers aside.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yeah, this is just sort of personal kind of um beliefs, I guess, or like thought processes. But interestingly, as I was doing some homework, so you asked you sort of suggested I look up this guy, Joe Dispenser. Dispenser. I wasn't sure how you pronounce that. Um interesting character.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

Well, the reason I said that is because he's quite big in the manifestation slash science, quantum physics.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

He does a lot of meditation.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Yes, but yes, I suppose meditation, but then includes a lot of science pseudoscience into that, doesn't he?

SPEAKER_01 1:19

And um use the word pseudoscience.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Yes, because he kind of sells himself as a doctor, but actually he's not a doctor in terms of how we well, you know, he's not a he's a chiropractor. He was a chiropractor, so it's kind of a bit missold, misrepresented. And then this whole quantum physics thing is also like really, really far-fetched. But he's so hugely successful and popular.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

So I just wanted you to because I knew if I started speaking about it and you hadn't looked him up, then you'd have no idea what I'd be talking about. But I I'd be interested to hear what your thoughts are on this guy.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 1:59

Um honestly. Because I feel like this could this kind of character could like be the sum up the reason why you don't believe in this stuff versus Okay, so it's interesting that you say I don't believe in this stuff. Or like that you're very much science-led, you know.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Okay, can we start with I would love before we get on to this guy, can we talk about like manifestation, like what how what you believe around manifestation and how you approach it, like putting this guy aside.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I mean, I so in from my perspective, like manifestation, I'm not so like focused on that as such, in the sense that this idea that you kind of project your future desires and then you act upon them, I believe, yeah. That's kind of what manifestation is.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Well, it's this from what I understand, it's this idea that what is it, your thoughts dictate your feelings and your actions dictate Noelings dictate your or it's actually your thoughts, your emotions, your emotions, your feelings, and your feelings, your actions.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

So what I think manifestation is a bit of a hyped up word now. I would say though, you know, the psychological process that does happen is that if you your actions will be the result of essentially your thought process.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Which is fair. I think that's uh, you know, if you but it doesn't necessarily mean just because you think something it will happen. Yeah. So there's a very important distinction. Um, but the manifest so therefore, like I'm not a manifestation queen or whatever you know, proficient level of any of that, but I can see the value in it, in that if you change the way you think and you therefore your actions follow in the line in the direction of your future goal, your future vision, what you know, what you embrace and what you want to do, then of course, yeah, that is an important, a super important process.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Yeah. Um I think this is also somewhat in line with um, you know, the uh atomic habits, which is sort of you you want to change your identity. If you root kind of your habits and your actions in terms of like your identity, then it comes from the inside and then it propagates outwards. You're more likely to change your habits to fit that identity.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Yeah, I'm not sure that's the same thing as manifestation, but it's it's um no. I think the the the the the kind of I don't know when someone says manifestation to you, I've manifested this, what do you think?

SPEAKER_01 4:46

To me, it's well, I think there's the the top line where people think, oh, you talked about it and then it appeared, which I think that's not true. I don't think that's like the the reason why that implies that when you say manifest it's yeah, but I guess for me it's more because I I I do so I guess from my stance, I do believe in that idea of if you if you truly kind of see a vision and then you work your way back and you think, okay, what are the steps that I'm gonna take to get to that? And then you kind of start from where you are to that next step, and then you keep walking towards whatever you've kind of projected. That and and in the meantime, you also internally you identify with that thing that you've projected, then you sort of internally become that thing, and then there's a series of sequences that come to that.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

But it's interesting you say that because that is not something you would have said like three years ago. Probably not, two or three years ago, even like I would imagine this is a fairly new or novel type of belief system that you're you're going you're getting into, but it's less rooted in like the spiritualness of it, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:59

It's much more to me, it just kind of scientifically makes sense. It's like, okay, this is the outcome that I want. Let me work my way back and like how do I get from where I am to here? It's always going to be a sequence of events, and in the meantime, identifying with what that person is now is much more likely that you will follow that that sequence of events versus if you stay rooted in who you believe you are now, and if you believe I'll never become that person, then you're less likely to follow through with those steps.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

Yeah, that's so that's your mindset, I suppose.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

But yeah, an identity shift has to happen in your mindset, yeah, and I and I do see that, but I think the whole like spiritual, maybe voodoo-ish element of like, oh, I'm gonna just think it or you know, do the scrapbook, and eventually my dream partner will walk down the road or my dream job will land on my feet. Like I that I don't I don't believe that.

SPEAKER_00 7:01

The visualizations potentially you're not too sold on.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Without the actions in between, like fundamentally, I think it it all stands on the shoulders of those actions in between.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Yeah, cause and effect.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Yeah, cause and effect, but also just you know, it's like saying if I want to run a marathon, I've got to train for it. So it's kind of like the training for it that you build up.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

And then you become a marathon runner. So do you see like a spiritual piece with meditation with uh manifestation?

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Uh no, I actually don't really think about manifestation and and and I really am more down the uh psychological view of you know get control over what you think. Yeah. And if you control if you really, you know, essentially control what you think, and that pours into your emotions, and your emotions will pour into your actions, and your actions will be outcome, and that is what you base your life on. Yeah, and much more on that basis. The whole manifestation thing, you know, I do believe there's a bit of marketing in that word now, and like it's kind of a bit used in so many different ways, but so I don't ever I never use it in my language, put it that way. Oh, interesting. Never use manifestation in my language.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

So, what would you use as language?

SPEAKER_00 8:17

You would talk about changing like your mindset or yeah, I would put more really like it's more of a because I think manifestation, there's an element of like loss of control, I feel like.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 8:28

I think of it more as a philosophy than as a way to live your life. Or or a way to get what you want from your life.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

So for me, it's more about maybe my spiritual side is more about something that like a guidebook to live by or a guidebook to like to to see life a lens through.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Yeah. But manifestation kind of doesn't really cross that.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

I don't I don't think about that as a so I wouldn't be able to I wouldn't be able to like sell a book on how to manifest your dreams, you know.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

You should. They sell really well.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

I know. I think there's a big massive, yeah, no, greed.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Um I actually read that manifest book that you gave me. It was really interesting, and that was kind of one of the starting points. But I think she describes it also as being like, you know, it's about if you want to meet a partner, are you putting yourself in the places where you're more likely to find that partner? You know, it's to me that kind of makes sense. Like it's sort of like, okay, yeah, if I that's what I'm looking for.