Manifestation: A Tutorial from a Hindu

Mandira Gowda

Ever since we’ve discovered that the universe reflects our wishes back to us, a lot of us have been manifesting our desires in an effort to make them true. A strong will, a couple rewritten words, and belief in the universe is all it seems to take...or is it? While it’s partially correct, true manifestation begins with a thorough understanding of its history and its correct forms of practices. Let’s light a candle and take a trip into the world of manifestation!

Despite blowing up in popularity, manifestation has been mentioned throughout history in numerous different cultures, including Buddhism and Christianity. Yet when it comes to modern practices, many of its attributes can be accredited to Hinduism, the world’s oldest faith/religion. When you hear spiritual terms like chakras, 3rd eye, manifestation, and yoga, many of its modern appropriations originated from the ancient religion of Hinduism and are now molded into practices of “Western Spirituality”. Because of the popularity of “Western Spirituality”, ancient eastern religions are facing erasure and lack of credit for many widespread spiritual practices. 

So, before we walk through this mini tutorial for better tips manifesting, let’s take a moment to understand the history so we can avoid culturally appropriating and culturally appreciate instead!

--------------------------------Dispelling 2 Popular Misconceptions-------------------------------- 

(brought to attention by Sarah M. Singh)

1. The origins of the Law of Attraction. 

Misconception: William Walker Atkinson discovered/founded the concept of the Law of Attraction in 1906.

Truth: The Law of Attraction, as dubbed by western society, dates back nearly 4,000 years to Hindu scriptures. Here are a few examples: 

  1. “That person, who desires for objects of pleasures, by contemplating on their properties, gets born, along with his those desires, among those objects of pleasures.” -translation from Mundaka Upanishad, Mundakopanishad 3.2.3

  2. “From it the universe comes forth, in it the universe merges and in it the universe breathes. Therefore a man should meditate on Brahman with a calm mind. Now, verily, a man consists of will. As he wills in this world, so does he become when he has departed hence. Let him with this knowledge in mind form his wit.” - Translation from Chandogya Upanishad

  3. “Whatever destinations and objects of pleasures, the man, whose mind is free from impurities, he obtains those destinations and those objects of pleasures.” -Translation from Mundaka Upanishad, Mundakopanishad 3.1.10

2. The origins of 3-6-9.

Misconception: Nikola Tesla discovered the importance of the numbers 3-6-9.

Truth: Nikola Tesla brought the idea of 3-6-9 to the west, influenced by Swami Vivekananda, friend of Tesla’s and first in a succession of eastern yogis who brought Vedic philosophy and religion to the west.

---------------------------The Importance of Spirituality and OM (AUM)--------------------------

(brought to attention by Sarah M. Singh)

Whenever you take a yoga class, for example, you tend to hear “Om” repeated over and over again, right? Let’s take a look on why that is:

Om represents the 3 states of consciousness, and is represented by the sound A-U-M. This sound runs in the frequency of 432 HZ...sound familiar? Many youtube videos encouraging meditation and manifestation have audios at 432 HZ as the frequency harmonizes the body to theoretically connect with the spiritual self easier. 

Here’s a little more information on each syllable of Om (A-U-M): 

  • A: Brahma (God of Creation) - The Physical plane which is the wake state of mind

  • U: Vishnu (God of Protection and Preservation) - The Astral Plane which is the dream state of mind for manifestation

  • M: Shiva (God of Destruction) - The Causal Plane which is dreamless state and destruction

  • The Fourth unspoken sound - Turiya (state of liberation) which is beyond universe and enlightened state

Before you use Om to meditate, remember its history: it’s considered the primal sound that rang out into the universe; it connects the physical self to the spiritual self. 

--------------------------------------------Manifestation Time!--------------------------------------------

STEP 1: Know what you want. Manifestation is fairly similar to asking wishes from a genie: if you don’t know what you want, things are about to get pretty confusing and messy. Be specific in your wishes. For example, don’t wish for “good grades”. Instead, wish for “A’s in all 7 of my classes in both semesters in 2020-2021”!  

STEP 2: Ask the universe. To manifest, one must believe they already have it. To amplify your signal and your desires to the universe, you can meditate, visualize, or utilize the popular 3-6-9 method. Let’s go over the 3-6-9 method (brought to attention by Clark Kegley):

  1. Pick 3 affirmations that you want.

  2. Say them 6 times a day.

  3. Focus on your wants for 9 seconds as a way to just think about what you want to manifest. 

While Kegley mentions that desires will manifest after 21 days of doing this method, it’s important to note that manifestations are an echo from the universe; there is no deadline. Remember to be patient and understand that these things will take time. 

To meditate, you must strive to clear your mind and meditate to see all perspectives. For manifestation to work via this process, you must be subconsciously aware of your surroundings and trust your intuition; don’t give up hope, as it weakens your intuition!

STEP 3: Actively work towards your manifestations. An important part of manifestations is your coexistence with the universe. While you call to the universe and expect a call back, you must work towards these manifestations actively. The universe builds upon your efforts to provide you your desires. Based on our previous example, manifesting good grades won’t work unless you actively work towards them. Expecting the universe to provide with no base will cause the manifestation to weaken or fail. 

STEP 4: Vibe check! The strength of your manifestations is solely based on your resonance with the universe; for you to reap the best possible benefits, strive to maintain a positive frequency for the universe to reflect back upon. In other words, try to have good vibes!

Now that you have a deeper understanding in manifestation, have fun! Call to the universe, and be sure to listen for its response. 

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