Another example: you want to become a veterinarian, but you failed your exams, so you decided you couldn’t do it. But then you decide, you know what, me I am becoming a veterinarian. You set a goal for yourself and regularly imagine yourself as a veterinarian and all the emotions you might feel while saving a pet’s life. Your brain then realizes that this is a very significant life goal and begins (subconsciously) to focus on what you can do to make it a reality. Eventually you will feel motivated to retake your exams and apply again. You learn every week, and as your practice test scores increase, you become more confident that you’re on the right path. At events you meet vets and ask how they got to where they are and receive useful advice. You’ve taken the GRE and prepared a top-notch application based on these tips, and one day you’ll receive an acceptance letter in the mail.
It wasn’t something supernatural in this case. The universe didn’t put you on the right path. “You activated certain cognitive networks in your brain, which made it more likely that you would manifest your intention,” Dr. Doty says.
Setting up the right kind intention makes the difference.
Dr. Doty says people often make the mistake of creating intentions that are selfish or motivated by external affirmation. Maybe you want a prestigious career or a fancy car because people – like your mom or your friends – will think highly of you.
Wanting an impressive job or a Tesla aren’t necessarily bad goals, but Dr. Doty says they’re (most likely) rooted in uncertainty and fear. And when you focus on what other people think, you get stressed and your body goes into fight or flight mode. Your sympathetic nervous system takes over and your brain doesn’t think or function as well, so you are unable to focus your attention on your intention. “As a result, your ability to manifest is limited,” says Dr. Doty. Human beings (and our brains) function optimally in a calm “rest and digest” mode, i.e. when the parasympathetic nervous system, the network of nerves that helps the body relax and conserve energy, is in charge, he explains.
So how do you engage your parasympathetic nervous system to become an A+ manifestor? By setting goals based on compassion, kindness and generosity, says Dr. Doty. You tend to be calmer when you pursue things that give you purpose and ultimately benefit the greater good, he adds. When you care for others, your body releases feel-good neurotransmitters like oxytocin, which stimulate your pleasure and reward centers. According to Dr. Dota, your brain craves these hormones, so it allocates more cognitive resources to achieve your goals.
I needed clarity on what distinguishes “good” from “bad” intentions, so I asked Dr. Doty about my ultimate goal in life—to write (and, fingers crossed, publish) a book. Isn’t it selfish, I wondered, to dream of being a published author? He said it was about what was behind my purpose. Do I want to be rich and famous or do I just love writing and want to educate and entertain people? If it is the latter (it is), then it is indeed a very good intention, he assured me. However, the former would probably lead to disappointment because I would be operating from a stressed place (which makes it harder for my brain to do anything), he told me.
Some quick tips to help you successfully manifest your goals
The biggest obstacle Dr. Doty sees is negative self-talk. “If you tell yourself something isn’t possible, then it isn’t possible,” he says. So step one: stop telling yourself you can’t do or have something. How do you overcome this? With positive affirmations – that is, short, encouraging statements about what you are capable of achieving.