Traditional personal finance advice from advisors and bloggers gets repetitive:
- Follow a budget
- Pay down debt strategically
- Build an emergency fund
- Ask for a raise or get a new job
- Sell items you no longer need
While those are all solid means to improve your financial stability, some people believe in a more spiritual approach: Manifesting money.
Anita Mae Aguilar, host of the Manifesting Money Podcast on Apple Podcasts, says manifesting is when something in your mind comes to the physical reality.
“It is something that is always ‘working,’ like the law of gravity,” Aguilar says. “Consciously manifesting is allowing yourself to have a say in things you want to experience, create and feel.”
However, Aguilar clarifies that manifestation isn’t as simple as wishing for something and getting it. For instance, you can’t just want to win the lottery and win the lottery.
She says there needs to be action behind whatever you want to manifest. That includes letting go of any ego preventing you from talking about money with other people.
“When you ask for financial help, whether it's talking about money with your partner for the first time or going to an advisor, you are opening yourself up in a spiritual realm as well, receiving support from all areas of your life,” Aguilar says.
Keep reading to learn more about manifesting and how to manifest financial stability:
What is manifesting money? What does research say?
- How do you actually manifest money?
- Does manifestation really work?
- How long does manifestation take?
- What are some blockages to successful manifestation?
How do you manifest wealth and abundance?
What is manifesting money? What does research say?
Manifesting money means believing through the power of positive thinking — also known as the Law of Attraction — that money will come to you.
According to the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology,1 the Law of Attraction is based on the idea that positive thoughts lead to positive experiences in our lives, while negative thoughts result in negative outcomes.
Although the Law of Attraction is a centuries-old concept, U.S. attorney and author William Walker Atkinson is recognized as the first person to write about it in detail in his 1907 book, “Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World.”
According to a New York Times article,2 interest in manifestation rose during the pandemic, as part of a general increase in “online spiritualism and self-help philosophy.” Google searches for “manifesting” spiked more than 800% between March and July 2020.3 Today, search volume is listed at a 29 on a scale of 1-100 based on all-time popularity, while it was at a 15 five years ago.
Aguilar says she has mixed feelings about manifestation becoming a popular trend, which she attributes in part to the 2006 documentary “The Secret,” starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas and based on the popular book by the same name. The film consists of a series of interviews with scientists, authors, and philosophers about the Law of Attraction.
“I’m excited, of course, because more people are becoming aware that they have a say in co-creating their reality, but I’m bummed because there are so many misconceptions about the word ‘manifestation,’” says Aguilar, who also credits TikTok with more people talking about and practicing manifestation.
Aguilar says manifesting isn’t necessarily an “act,” but rather something that is always happening based on the energy you’re putting into the world. However, practices like meditation and daily affirmations can help you maintain a positive mindset and lead to successful money manifestation.
How do you actually manifest money?
Before you can start to manifest money, Aguilar says you need to get to a neutral place, which means being at peace with the worst-case scenario.
“When you accept the worst-case scenario, you release all the resistance you have toward the things you don't want to happen and truly become at peace with the outcome,” Aguilar says.
When it comes to money manifestation, this means understanding that you may not get the raise or new position you want and accepting that your life will be OK if you don’t.
This solid neutral foundation allows you to build and dream about what you want to achieve.
“Your positive thoughts have a higher frequency than your negative thoughts and are more likely to manifest simply because they bring you more joy,” Aguilar says.
Does manifestation really work?
While there are no studies that scientifically prove the concept of manifestation or the Law of Attraction, a study published in the journal of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin4 found that people who believed in manifestation have these characteristics:
- Perceived themselves as more successful
- Had stronger aspirations for success
- Believed they were more likely to achieve future success
However, the same study found that those who believed in manifestation were also more likely to consider risky investments, experience bankruptcy, and to believe they could achieve an unlikely level of success more quickly.
Some people have also connected manifestation to the study of quantum mechanics in physics, which explains how matter and energy behave on an atomic and subatomic level. In an article published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science,5 researchers detail the “observer effect,” which explains how the act of observing or measuring particles at the quantum level can change the way a particle behaves.
Aguilar says to be successful at manifesting, you will almost always need to put action behind your mental efforts.
“The problem is that most people are acting out of scarcity or unconscious habits, creating the same reality time and time again,” she says.
In other words, even if you want to manifest something good, you may be subconsciously blocking your success because you don’t truly believe you can achieve it. Likewise, having a scarcity mindset can make you so focused on the things you don’t have — like enough time or money — that you aren’t able to manifest those things you desperately want.
Aguilar shared one of her client’s success stories as an example of a time positive mindset led to financial reward:
On the r/lawofattraction subreddit, people regularly share stories of successfully manifesting money and material items they wanted:
Aguilar says in her experience, manifestations are more likely to come to fruition when you are going after something you truly desire and are not willing to mentally take “no” for an answer.
“I find it's easier for me to follow through when things get challenging when I am passionate about the manifestation,” Aguilar says.
How long does manifestation take?
Aguilar says consciously manifesting can take as much or as little time as our subconscious minds believe it is possible.
“There are some of us who don't believe it's possible to land a new job at all,” Aguilar says. “Others may think it's possible but don't believe it will happen in a certain timeframe.”
What are some blockages to successful manifestation?
“The biggest blockage I see around consciously manifesting money is that we are more scared of something happening than we desire the positive outcome,” Aguilar says.
This means that often the actions we take contradict the outcome we’re hoping to manifest.
“An example of this is wanting to start your own business but not sharing the price of our services with others because it makes us feel ‘salesy’ or ‘pushy,’” Aguilar says.
Manifesting vs prayer
Aguilar says manifesting is allowing yourself to have a say in things you want to experience, create and feel. It involves visualization, affirmations and a positive mindset to guide you toward specific outcomes. Prayer involves requesting your desires and giving up the outcome to a higher power, whatever you believe in.
“I had been so wrapped up in learning to co-create my reality for the past few years that I stopped giving things up to a higher power,” Aguilar says.
She says learning about the Law of Attraction and manifestation was the missing puzzle piece to understanding why some things she prayed for worked out, while others didn’t.
How do you manifest wealth and abundance?
1. Money mantras
One way to manifest wealth and abundance is to recite money mantras aloud, say them in your head or write them down. You can choose to make up your own money mantras or use these if they resonate with what you desire:
- “I create wealth effortlessly and use it to make a positive impact in the world.”
- “Money flows to me easily, bringing me joy and financial freedom.”
- “I am open to receiving all forms of abundance and opportunities for wealth.”
- “I am worthy of financial abundance and success, and I attract it effortlessly.”
- “My wealth and abundance grow every day, in every way.”
- “I am a magnet for money and wealth.”
- “I am grateful for the wealth and prosperity in my life.”
- “I am financially free and empowered to live the life of my dreams.”
- “Money comes to me in unexpected and joyful ways.”
The website/app 17seconds generates mantras for you to recite based on what you’re trying to manifest.
Check out more mantras from people on Reddit:
2. Create a vision board
Another way to manifest wealth and abundance is by creating a vision board. Here’s some advice on how to create a vision board that from Cosmopolitan6:
- Start with a poster or foam board to create a physical vision board, or use a design tool like Canva to create a digital version.
- Look in magazines or online to find images that represent manifesting money, such as stacks of cash.
- Add money-related words, phrases or mantras to your board.
- Once completed, put the vision board where you will see it each day, such as on the wall near your bed or set it as the wallpaper on your phone.
3. Use journaling to manifest your goals
A final way to manifest wealth and abundance is through manifestation journaling. Use the journal to write down your thoughts, dreams, goals and plans about money.
Berkeley Well-Being Institute,7 which staffed by wellness experts and researchers who create science-based content, courses and tools to promote well-being, recommends these steps when manifestation journaling:
- Freewrite to make yourself aware of your goals and passions.
- Write down your specific goals.
- Write about your “why,” such as “Why is having more money meaningful to you?” and “How will you feel once you’ve achieved the goal of having more money?”
- Write about times when you learned new things or built new skills to help you cultivate a positive growth mindset.
Other suggestions from Berkeley Well-Being Institute include writing down positive affirmations starting with “I am…” and showing gratitude by writing down all of the positive things that occur, which are related to your goals — kind of like a gratitude journal.
Manifesting money FAQs
What do you say when manifesting money?
Aguilar suggested the following money mantras to say when you want to manifest money:
- “I am so happy and grateful that I have money for everything that I need and everything I desire.”
- “It's OK for me to be rich and successful. I know it's allowing me to impact millions of people in a positive way.”
- “Money flows to me more when I am having fun.”
How can I attract money?
Attracting money is a multistep process. According to Andres Pira, author of “Homeless To Billionaire: The 18 Principles of Wealth Attraction and Creating Unlimited Opportunity,” you should take the following steps, which he says complement the law of attraction, to attract money:
- Face your fears related to failure or success.
- Create reminders of your affirmations that you can see, such as on sticky notes.
- Take action to execute your big ideas.
- Find a mentor who inspires you.
- Improve your physical health with regular exercise.
- Give money to others to bring them happiness.
- Stay positive and refuse to entertain negativity.
How do you attract sudden wealth?
To attract sudden wealth — say, a lotto winning or other windfall — try using related money manifesting mantras, such as “Money is on its way to me right now” or “Money effortlessly falls into my lap,” in addition to putting action behind whatever you want to manifest.
That could mean applying to jobs with high salaries, starting a potentially lucrative business, or making wise investments. We also have written articles on finding a side hustle and about earning passive income.
A word of caution, however: Many people who come into sudden wealth just as quickly pilfer it away. There is also a psychological condition called “sudden wealth syndrome,” where the overwhelming pressures of quickly coming into wealth can lead to issues like depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Conclusion: careful what you wish for / manifest!
SOURCES
- “The effect of source credibility on bullshit receptivity,” Sandra Ilić and Kaja Damnjanović. The Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology. June 3, 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acp.3852
- “The Long, Strange History of ‘Manifesting,’” by Tara Isabella Burton for the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/opinion/manifesting-spirituality-america-reality.html#
- Google Trends. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&geo=US&q=manifesting&hl=en
- “‘The Secret’ to Success? The Psychology of Belief in Manifestation,” by Lucas J Dixon, Matthew J Hornsey and Nicole Hartley for the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. July 8, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37421301/
- “Quantum mechanics and the consciousness connection,” by Susan Borowski for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. July 6, 2012. https://www.aaas.org/taxonomy/term/10/quantum-mechanics-and-consciousness-connection
- “How to Use a Vision Board for Manifestation,” by Jessica Estrada for Cosmopolitan. Aug. 27, 2021. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a37417551/how-to-make-a-vision-board/
- “Manifestation Journaling: A Complete Guide (+ Prompts),” by Tchiki Davis, MA, PhD for the Berkeley Well-Being Institute. https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/manifestation-journaling.html#:~:text=A%20manifestation%20journal%20is%20a,goals%20and%20manifest%20your%20dreams
