The big comeback of the Manifestation trend on TikTok and Instagram is a sign of collective healing from pandemic trauma, says NONA WALIA, adding, to manifest is to simply create ‘the culture of magic’ in your life
The word ‘Manifest’ made a big comeback in 2022. People are literally launching their dreams into the Universe and watching them come true. We first heard of new-age manifesting when Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret became a big hit in 2006, selling 30 million copies.
Cut to 2022: This new-age trend is making a comeback with Gen Z. This year’s bestseller has been Roxie Nafousi’s Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life.
New age spiritual healers and life coaches are once again telling people you can manifest anything. There’s a wave of workshops focussing on ‘manifesting happiness’, ‘manifesting jobs’, ‘manifesting money’, and even ‘manifesting life partners’. The fatigue we saw with the word manifesting between 2008 and 2020 is over. The cult of believers who are trying to ‘manifest’ is stronger than ever before. The will to manifest after a very hard and trying pandemic is the reason for the renewed faith. New-age spiritualists will tell you their stories of manifesting beliefs and how they made it work. From small rituals, journaling dreams, and using switchwords, manifesting is being used to ‘manifest’ even what you saw in your dreams.
According to an article in The Guardian, in 2020, as lockdowns began, Google searches of “manifesting” went up 600 per cent. On Instagram, the hashtags #manifest and #manifestation now total 15m posts. On TikTok, views of manifestation content are currently surging past 9bn.
The manifesting industry is helping people focus on positive vibes. You simply do away with limiting and negative belief systems. Says spiritual healer Rohini Singh, “It is the belief that anything is possible; we conspire with the universe to create a positive flow.”
The comeback of the manifesting trend is clearly a result of hardness of the pandemic. There’s an emotional fatigue after the lockdowns, illnesses, deaths, job losses…. People want to return to positivity. Says psychiatrist Alok Kulkarni, “It’s a great way to keep your emotional positivity index high. You can keep a lot of mental health problems away.”
The entire manifestation movement works on the following premise: whatever you wish to manifest, whether its love, money, success, prosperity, spiritual development, it’s coming your way. Get ready, for this is your time to level up your life and be on a higher vibrational track.
The reason for the rise of New Age spiritualism beliefs like manifesting is to heal mass collective traumas. After the first World War, there was a sharp rise in cult spirituality. There’s a desperate need to believe in yourself and a higher power. In India, we are also witnessing how most astrologers are turning into life coaches. Says astrologer Sandeep Bhargava, “It’s not so much about the stars or planets anymore, but your attitude and how you empower your belief system.”
The business of manifesting is getting bigger: from crystals to plants, mantras to switchwords, manifesting numbers to colours – there’s an entire lifestyle out there available to you to empower your dreams. A new business of – How to Be Magnetic has started alongside, with influencers and bloggers giving it the required push. This alternative spiritual movement is what is drawing in both believers and non-believers.
There’s an easy, flip side to manifestation. Toxic positivity can become a real thing, prompting us to ask the question: can too much positivity boomerang? The trick is to just look at manifestation as a tool to raise your vibrations and energy. Make small, realistic and attainable goals. You are simply aligning yourself to a higher life.
To manifest is to simply create ‘the culture of magic’ in your life!
Nona Walia is a successful journalist and writer, who is also a motivational expert, passionate about helping people to live their best life. She likes to describe herself both as a Wellness Warrior and Wellness Blogger, who has done a certified online course on the ‘Science of Well-Being’ from Yale University. Nona Walia runs her own Wellness Channel on Youtube. She has worked with the Times of India for 24 years as Senior Assistant Editor. She is also an author for Thrive Global. She is the author of The Art of Mental Toughness.
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Featured Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels
Manifestation is indeed the very Nature of Nature, which nothing can check, no force can hinder. Manifestation is indeed the timeless mantra of Nature which speaks through the full flowering of the flower from the centre of its being, full sing out of the bird from the depth of its being and also the full flowering of man’s individuality from the deep recess of his being.
COVID-19 had in fact checked this free flow of man and for two abominable years dampened his spirit. Now that it is fading out, the pent up feeling of all of us is seeking all possible outlets to manifest itself in full regality. It is very natural, but we must take it with a pinch of salt too, lest it not be too euphoric.
Yes Nona ji, you have aptly addressed it in the concluding note:
“There’s an easy, flip side to manifestation. Toxic positivity can become a real thing, prompting us to ask the question: can too much positivity boomerang? The trick is to just look at manifestation as a tool to raise your vibrations and energy. Make small, realistic and attainable goals. You are simply aligning yourself to a higher life.”