Is their a Neuroscience of Manifestation & law of Attraction?

In his fascinating book "The Brain," neuroscientist David Eagleman delves into the intricacies of how our brain makes decisions; Understanding this process reveals how the brain works ahead of us, simulating future scenarios and assessing our potential feelings about them. This concept isn't just about scientific curiosity; it connects deeply with popular ideas like the Law of Attraction and manifestation.

The Decision-Making Process:
Eagleman explains that our brain is constantly running simulations of possible futures. When faced with decisions, whether small (like choosing between biking or taking a cab to work) or significant (like career changes), the brain projects forward the likely outcomes based on options under consideration. In effect, imagines various states and evaluates how we would feel about each one. This "gut check" mechanism helps us make choices that align with what we expect will make us feel good.

Future Simulations and Gut Checks:
At every moment, we have numerous options. Our brain narrows these options by predicting future emotions. It performs a heuristic simulation, a sort of mental shortcut, to forecast our feelings. This process intends to optimise our expected future feelings. Essentially, our brain's goal is to guide us to choose the path that it predicts will lead to the most favourable emotional state.

The Connection with 'Law of Attraction':
The idea of future simulations and gut checks in neuroscience is strikingly similar to the principles behind the Law of Attraction and Manifestation Philosophy; Internet gurus promoting these concepts often advise visualising the future and 'feeling the feelings' associated with achieving those desires. They suggest that by feeling as if your goals are already accomplished, you can attract those outcomes into your life.

Visualisation and Expected Feelings:
Both Neuroscience and Manifestation principles emphasise the importance of future feelings. Neuroscience explains that our brain's decision-making process involves predicting how we will feel about future events. Law of Attraction philosophy advises visualising and emotionally experiencing your desired future. This alignment suggests a scientific basis for why visualisation and manifestation techniques might be effective.

Neuroscience Backing Manifestation:
Understanding this link provides a new perspective on Manifestation techniques. It suggests that these practices might be grounded in the way our brain naturally functions. When you visualise and emotionally engage with your goals, you are essentially doing what your brain does when making decisions- optimising for expected positive feelings.

David Eagleman's book "The Brain" offers a wealth of information about how our brain works. It's not just a technical manual; it's a story about US, our evolution, and the future of AI & Humanity. The book is full of insights into the brain's mechanisms and its role in our lives.

Eagleman's exploration of neuroscience provides valuable context for understanding human behaviour and decision-making. By reading this book, you gain a deeper appreciation of how our brain shapes our experiences and choices. It's a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersection of science, psychology, and personal development.

Conclusion:
The connection between neuroscience & 'Law of Attraction' highlights the power of our brain's decision-making process; By simulating future scenarios and predicting our feelings, our brain guides us towards choices that align with our emotional well-being. This scientific understanding enriches our perspective on manifestation techniques, suggesting that they may be more than just pseudoscience—they may be rooted in the fundamental workings of our brain.

For those intrigued by these ideas, "The Brain" by David Eagleman is a must-read. It offers a comprehensive look at how our brain functions, shedding light on the fascinating processes that drive our decisions and shape our lives. By exploring this book, you can gain insights that not only enhance your knowledge of neuroscience but also enrich your approach to personal growth and decision-making.

Recipe to Mindfulness

In our fast-paced world, getting more done in a short amount of time and staying motivated for mundane tasks can seem challenging. The key to achieving both lies in understanding how our perception of time changes as we grow older and how mindfulness can help us reclaim our focus.



When we're kids, a year feels like a long time because we're constantly absorbing new experiences. Every day is filled with wonder, and our senses are heightened to everything happening around us. As adults, our minds are often preoccupied with worries about the future or memories of the past. This leaves only a small fraction of our attention for the present moment. Consequently, time seems to fly by because we aren't fully engaged with what's happening now.

Our desensitisation to the sensory inputs contributes to this phenomenon. We receive so much data from the outside world that we stop appreciating the small, everyday moments. The solution to this problem lies in mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully aware of this moment, and it can significantly improve our productivity and motivation.

To become more mindful, we need to customise mindfulness techniques to fit our unique needs. Simply following any generic advice from gurus or books won't be effective unless we understand why we need mindfulness and how it can help us. Think about the last time you ate a piece of chocolate or an ice cream and truly savoured the experience; In that moment, everything else disappeared, and you were completely immersed in the pleasure of eating. This is the essence of mindfulness—being fully engaged in whatever you're doing.

One effective way to practice mindfulness is to become fully immersed in your current activities. This might sound abstract at first, but it means giving your complete attention to whatever task you're doing, whether it's washing dishes, writing a report, or having a conversation. By focusing entirely on the present moment, you'll find that time slows down, and you can enjoy the task at hand.

Mindfulness techniques are like templates that need to be personalised. For example, meditation, yoga, and deep-breathing exercises are common mindfulness practices, but they won't work for everyone in the same way.
You might need to experiment with different techniques to find what resonates with you. The goal is to understand your mind and what kind of customisation it needs to stay focused and relaxed.

When you practice mindfulness, you'll notice that your productivity increases because you're working at your peak performance. At the same time, you'll be able to relax more deeply because your mind isn't cluttered with distracting thoughts about the past or future. Mindfulness helps you strike a balance between work and relaxation, making both more enjoyable and effective.

In summary, getting more done in less time and staying motivated for mundane tasks is possible through mindfulness. By appreciating the present moment and immersing ourselves fully in our activities, we can slow down our perception of time and increase our focus.

Customising mindfulness techniques to suit our personal needs can lead to a more fulfilling and productive life.
Remember, the journey to mindfulness is personal, and finding your own path will help you achieve peak performance and relaxation.

Calmness of the Quest

The girl was chanting an ancient esoteric mantra, sitting in a serene pose, letting the sea breeze and tiny droplets adorn her presence. 

A middle aged man who was strolling along the beach got pulled towards her silhouette.

He didn't try to intervene the meditative trance of the girl who looked surreal.
He sat beside the girl, careful not to disturb her communion with the divine. 

The girl after few minutes, rubbed her palms, opened her eyes, and looked at the man. The man felt the powerful gaze of the girl peering at his soul.

The girl offered the man few sweetmeats, which he gladly accepted and started to relish.

Man : I felt immense calm emanating from you. Apologies, for intruding into your space.

Girl : No Problem. It's the divine will.

Man : How long, have you been chanting?

Girl : Since the sun shone on the shore. 

Man : Hahaaa. I meant when was the first time you chanted or meditated?

Girl : Since the sun shone on the shore. Maybe you are trying to put the time-space continuum on my tendencies. Anyway, let's first understand your motivations to engage with me.

Man : I don't have any

Girl : Are you sure?

Man : I am financially abundant. I have all the luxuries of life. I came to the beach for calmness. Looking at you I am tempted to surmise that you are an embodiment of calmness. Hence, I am still here. Are you content with your life? What do you do?

Girl : Let's unpack one thing at a time. So, financial accomplishments have failed to provide you the serenity which you are seeking here. And, to your surprise you also have an epiphany that due to the luxuries of your life you are driven to seek peace. So, you are grateful for your material gifts and that has enabled you to this quest of calmness.

Man : Indeed!

Girl : Can you flip your journey?

Man : What do you mean?

Girl : There is a calmness in this quest. Calmness resides in the quest of calmness. 

Man : This sounds like a play of words. Yet, I might have got your message.

Girl : Sir! In this quest you will cross few levels. Keen Observation, Introspection, Awareness, Mindfulness. This is the Quest.

Man : When we observe, it's sometimes unsettling and we lose grip with mindfulness. 

Girl : In Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says, 
"asanśhayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ chalam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate"

O mighty-armed son of Kunti, what you say is correct; the mind is indeed very difficult to restrain. But by practice and detachment, it can be controlled.

So, Sir! Practise.

The man bowed down in reverence towards the wise girl. As, he stood up, the beach was devoid of any human existence till his eyesight could gaze. The girl had vanished in broad daylight.

The man kept questioning the encounter. Was he dreaming? He wasn't.

Like all pleasant experiences, he thought, "let me stay with the message & its feeling". This is my calmness.
Calmness of the Quest.

My Healing Journey - Should you Take Therapy?

The past 18 months have been rough for me; to say the least.

I have been to Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Healers, Therapists, Activity Groups, Astrologers,Psychics, Tarot Card Readers, etc.

My first therapy session began with me saying, "I am unhappy yet I don't know the reason. I have a high paying respectable job which offers me work-life balance. I have no family obligations. I have no rift with anyone. At the outset, nothing seems awry. Still! I am morose and have a melancholic outlook towards life. What's wrong with me?"

And in the last therapy session 3-4 months back, I said that I am happy and I don't know the reason.

That seemed like a full circle.
When I narrated the above to a Spiritual healer, she was enraptured.

No, I didn't have any clinical symptoms. I was perfectly fine. Yet, I was not well. 
The phase also marked the end of a journey. It wasn't easy for me.

Around 13 years back, when my mother had died of a prolonged illness, I was shook from my foundation. I had lost all zeal to live. I remember saying to my flatmate and co-worker that, "it seems like my 'जठराग्नि' has got doused by the loss of my birth-giver."
Few years later, one of my closest friends reminded me of that phase of life and said that if I could survive that phase of my life, I can see through any small setback like a 'bad breakup'.
This has stuck with me ever since.

If I can see through the loss of my mother, the only person I admired & adored at the same time, I can definitely weather through any storm in life.

I am reminded of few lines from Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood, 
“No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. All we can do is see it through to the end and learn something from it, but what we learn will be no help in facing the next sorrow that comes to us without warning.”

Seems like life is a series of Cathartic episodes. 

Truth being told, there was a phase in life, when I was unable to take shower as the mere act of closing my eyes and putting my head to the flow of cold water scared me to the bones. 
I have gone through that phase. It is in my past, now. Thankfully! I am full of gratitude to all the professionals I worked with and the blessings of the divine. As without the grace of the ever merciful, not a single leaf flutters even in a raging tempest.
Jai Sri Hari!

You may ask what worked for me?
Let me lay down the 4 tenets of healing:

1. You are not responsible for your suffering. Maybe!
2. There is no shortcut to healing journey
3. Your friends & family are ill-equipped to support you in healing
4. Always consult an Expert Practitioner. Psychiatrists, Psychologists, etc.

So, you may ask, "Should you take therapy?"
Yes!
By all means.
I am a proponent of universal talk therapy; a space where you get to bare all your ramblings & demons from the deep recess of your hearth of emotions & thoughts.  
You need the expertise and a non-judgemental space to pour out your feelings. Merely talking things out sometimes works like magic in breaking the patterns that ensnare your mind. 
So, how do you find an effective mental health expert?
Let me think and write another post.

Have you seen the movie : "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" ?