Step into the captivating world of manifestation as we delve into the ultimate debate: Is manifesting a sin or a blessing? Discover the moral implications and ethical questions surrounding this controversial practice. From the clash of religious teachings to the gray areas of intention, join us on a thought-provoking journey to unravel the truth behind the power of manifestation.
What is Manifestation?
The dictionary definition of manifestation is an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea. Manifestation has the goal of acquiring something tangible, or a tangible outcome presents itself as the result of an event, action, or object.
The new age movement of spirituality has adopted the term manifestation to be used as a visualization tool to align one’s own reality to a desired energy. Often, the goal is to reduce negative thoughts and amplify positive outcomes. According to new age philosophies, manifesting is a mindset that takes aspirations and turns them into a reality by sheer will.
Part of manifestation is aligning oneself with a higher power to achieve a specific goal. New age philosophy recognizes that a higher power is accessible within the realm of one’s spiritual consciousness. The results of manifestation are based solely on the individual person’s intention and positive thoughts.
This is often where a difference in religious and spiritual philosophies comes into play. Christians believe that God is the only higher power and that everything unfolds according to God’s divine plan. However, Christians are not without their own wishes and desires, and many pray for things very similarly to new-age practitioners.
Moreover, manifestation holds a fascinating place in the realm of psychology. Throughout my academic journey and work experiences, I have observed how thoughts and intentions can shape our reality. Positive thinking, in particular, holds immense power in influencing our perception of the world and our subsequent actions. During my research on stressful life events and their link to fibromyalgia onset, I witnessed the profound influence of psychological factors on physical health. I witnessed that our mindset and beliefs play a crucial role in how we interpret and respond to life. By adopting a positive mindset and actively visualizing desired outcomes, individuals can cultivate resilience, optimism, and a proactive approach to life’s challenges – that is where, I believe, the secret power of manifestation is hidden.
Manifestation vs Praying: What is the Difference?
The difference between manifesting and praying is the source of belief. Manifestation does not require help from an outside source, only that the person’s intentions align with what may be considered to be a greater good in the universe.
Prayer, on the other hand, is rooted in a religious practice that has its own rules and principles. It is not the intention of the person that matters, and it is God’s intention that matters. It is often said that God works in mysterious ways because tragedies and setbacks will happen even when it seems like it would be better for them not to. Part of God’s divine plan is to teach lessons through hardship, and that influences how one prays and what is prayed for.
Growing up, I experienced a challenging period in my life that left me feeling depressed and apprehensive about the future. It was during this time that I first discovered the concept of manifestation. As someone who was both religious and open to exploring alternative approaches, I found striking similarities between prayer and manifestation.
I found that prayer and manifestation are both deeply rooted in the human desire to achieve a desired outcome and find solace in uncertain times. They serve as powerful tools for individuals to rationalize their everyday experiences and acknowledge the existence of a higher power beyond their own existence.
When people pray, they express their hopes, dreams, and concerns to a divine entity, seeking guidance, support, and intervention. Similarly, in the practice of manifestation, individuals visualize and focus their thoughts and intentions on manifesting their desired reality. Whether through prayer or manifestation, I believe that people tap into a belief that there is a force greater than themselves that can bring about the changes they long for.
In my eyes, in both prayer and manifestation, faith plays a central role. Believing in the power of prayer involves trust in a higher power and the conviction that the divine can influence and shape one’s life. Similarly, manifestation requires unwavering faith in the process, believing that thoughts and intentions have the potential to manifest in tangible outcomes.
Moreover, prayer and manifestation share the common thread of offering a sense of comfort and hope. They provide individuals with a sense of agency and a belief that their intentions and desires matter. Just like it did for me, engaging in prayer or manifestation can offer solace during difficult times, instill a sense of purpose, and foster resilience in the face of adversity.
Witchcraft and Invocations
Many Christians will view witchcraft as the devil’s work because some practitioners of modern-day witchcraft align themselves spiritually with different mythological pantheons. Some consider themselves to be followers, priests/priestesses of specific gods, and goddesses from those pantheons. When performing rituals and rites, they will invoke a god or goddess that represents the intention being set to help achieve a desired result.
The Bible is really clear when it comes to the worshiping of anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ. Any worship of another deity is considered a sin by Christian standards. However, it is interesting to note the Communion of Saints in Catholicism.
In Catholicism, there are Saints who are human beings known for their notable acts of faith toward God. They are not worshiped like gods, but one can pray to the Saints for help to achieve a specific goal. The Saints are essentially an extension of God. Their martyrdom is seen as an act of God’s grace, and therefore, prayers sent unto them are prayers also sent unto God.
There are practitioners who consider themselves to be Catholic witches who work with the Saints for their spells, rituals, rites, and prayers, but many other Christians would look upon these people with doubt. This is undoubtedly a gray area when it comes to considering manifestation as a sin. If people are using God’s will in a non-traditional but still acceptable way, is it right to condemn them as sinners?
Reasons Why Manifesting Can Be Seen as a Sin
The concept of manifestation itself is not seen as a sin. It is clear in the Bible that the Holy Spirit can manifest itself through God’s will in our physical world. Manifestation outside of God’s sovereignty, however, will likely be interpreted as sinful by Christians.
The most obvious reason that manifestation is considered sinful is idolatry. People putting their faith in objects and mythological figures to help them achieve their goals are considered to be sinners. Any faith that goes to something else besides God is considered a sin.
Many times, people are manifesting to achieve a specific goal having to deal with money, power, health, career, etc. These goals are materialistic, and while they may have practical meaning, they are usually fleeting and short-lived. If manifestation is used to create material excess, it may even be considered greedy.
Perception of manifestation and how it is understood differs between people. Manifestation might be viewed as a dream by some people. A dream is often idealistic and lofty in its expectations, so it may not seem reasonable to attain it. If a person’s intention is to have that dream become a possibility, they can actualize it by planning and taking small steps towards that dream. In this way, the dream, for example, getting a new job or being more successful, becomes a goal. Having a dream or a goal is not by itself sinful. What would make it sinful is if the means to attain that goal are dishonest, disingenuous, manipulative, or harmful to others. However, context and intention are very important. A ruler of a country who wants to expand its borders to unify a larger group of people to make life better might not be committing a sin. A ruler who ruthlessly takes over another country for the sake of power and domination would be viewed in a different light.
The definitions and acts of sin are very clear in the Bible. There is an infamous group of sins called the seven deadly sins, and these sins relate to the different levels of hell in Dante’s Divine Comedy. These sins are lust, sloth, gluttony, greed, pride, wrath, and envy. There is inherent selfishness in all of these sins, and manifesting goals involving these sins are, of course, considered sinful.
Manifesting can become a slippery slope when the person setting the intentions starts to be overcome by their own power. Instead of faith in God, one chooses faith in oneself because they have learned that they can get what they want. There are physical markers of “success” that reinforce that faith. There is a saying that good things come to those who wait, but for those into manifesting, waiting is not an acceptable option.
8 Reasons Why Manifesting Can Become A Sin
- We start to put all our faith in the universe, not god.
- Having a selfish motive
- Manifestation of certain self-centered goals
- It ignores the sovereignty of God
- The manifester thinks they can become their own god
- It robs you of the gift of waiting
- Manifesting gives glory to its manifester rather than God
- We create idols of the things we are desiring
Does Christianity Allow Manifesting?
As previously stated, the concept of manifestation is familiar in Christianity as it applies to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The power of manifestation lies within God’s will and not the individual. One can set an intention, but it will only be considered a manifestation if it is part of God’s plan. Proverbs 16:9 says this, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” So, technically manifestation is allowed, but it is limited in its criteria.
Manifestation lends itself to the law of attraction. New age philosophy states that positive vibrations bring positive things and results and vice versa – negative thoughts will bring on negative things. Positive thoughts are used in intention setting as a focus to getting the desired outcome. The Bible doesn’t say anything specific about the law of attraction, mainly because the idea hadn’t yet been formed in the way it is now. Proverbs 15:30 says, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones,” but it would be stretching the scripture too far to say that this is similar to the law of attraction. Ultimately, if the intention isn’t part of God’s plan, then it isn’t technically permissible.
There is a saying that the road to hell is paved with the best intentions, and I think that sums up the general view that Christians have about manifestation. The reason for the emphasis of the will of God when it comes to manifesting is that Christians believe that God knows best. What will come to us is for our higher good, which is something that is mostly out of our control.
Another verse that could be interpreted as allowing for manifestation is Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” This verse comes with a caveat: if what you seek is the path toward your highest good, that is what you will find. If, however, you seek a path of destruction, knowingly or unknowingly, that too you will find. Intention does matter here. God’s will does promote destruction, but it does so as a learning experience. If you are meant to learn something the hard way, then that is part of your fate. What you do with it and how you adjust your attitude makes all the difference.
Beyond prayers and God’s will, manifestation is generally tolerated but not accepted. The new age thought does not mesh with Christian thought in this regard.
When Does Manifesting Become Immoral?
We have already discussed when manifestation is considered sinful, and immorality is not too different in this regard. Morality considers what is right and what is wrong and the differences between the subjective and objective interpretations of right and wrong. For Christians, immorality is synonymous with sin. God teaches us to live an upright and moral life. The 10 Commandments serve as an objective compass for morality. This way, anything that breaks the Commandments is automatically considered immoral or wrong. One may murder in self-defense, perhaps without intention to kill, but will still be punished by law and considered a sin. Whether or not that person is forgiven in God’s eyes depends on what is in their heart.
Beyond sin, there are obvious instances when manifestation is being used for the wrong purpose. Manifesting for the sake of one’s personal gain is part of manifestation. The extent that intention is solely focused on one’s desires determines when it becomes immoral. One could say that it is wrong to be entirely selfish. One may use manifestation to acquire mansions, fancy cars, and successful businesses to win every football game, one lofty goal after the other, perhaps without end. Manifestation, to this extent, may embody the sin of greed and thus becomes immoral because everything never seems to be enough.
Some may wish for the impossible. To be able to manipulate the world, or at least the people around them. To have control over fellow man and nature. This kind of attitude also lends itself to sin, particularly the sin of pride, and sometimes with deadly outcomes.
There are types of manifestation that wouldn’t seem dangerous or harmful, and those are intentions set out of fear. Fear can be a great motivator, but when it is the impetus for intention setting, the desired outcomes may prove to be selfish and uncaring. One may disregard the safety of others to secure their own safety. Typically, manifestation focuses on what you want to happen, not what you don’t want to happen. Setting intentions for the latter actually brings upon the thing causing that fear because that’s where the thoughts are directed.
Overall, the morality of manifestation depends on the intentions being set. It is best to stick to small, manageable goals that aren’t too complex. The more complex the goal is, the more room there is for things to go awry.
Manifestation is in danger of becoming immoral when:
- You’re Manifesting For Selfish Reasons
- Your Manifestation Goes Against The Laws Of Nature
- You’re Manifesting Out Of Fear
- You’re Manifesting To Control Others
The Bottom Line
Manifesting is a support system that has its own limitations and rules. What is important are the intentions you set for yourself. What kind of life do you want to live? What brings meaning into your life? What goals can you set to align yourself with your innate potential?
An intention is all the more powerful when there is a purpose behind it. Where you find that purpose is up to you. Many Christians and new-age thinkers alike believe that each person has a unique purpose. Many people believe that God gives us a purpose. Others believe that we can co-create our purpose. The bottom line is that we are meant to search for meaning in our life, and the goals we set can either help or hinder that process.
Goals that are selfish, sinful, or immoral are not conducive to finding your innate purpose. That is part of the reason why religious structures exist; they provide foundational guidance to our thoughts and feelings. We can take those thoughts and direct them toward a specific purpose. A purpose that is truly for our higher good is no different than the purpose given to us by God, and that is the beauty of manifestation.
Myself – I have found solace in both prayer and manifestation practices during tough periods of my life, and I will continue being a believer in and supporter of both. What do you choose to believe in?
FAQs
Are affirmations a sin?
Affirmations themselves are not considered a sin. They are positive statements that help shape our mindset and beliefs. However, if affirmations are used to promote sinful or immoral intentions, then they can be seen as sinful.
What is manifesting someone?
Manifesting someone refers to the practice of trying to attract or bring a specific person into one’s life through focused intention and positive thoughts. It is often associated with the belief that one can use the power of the mind and the universe to manifest desired relationships or connections.
What is the biblical meaning of manifesting?
In the biblical context, manifestation is typically associated with the revelation of God’s will or the visible display of His power and presence. It emphasizes that God’s plan and purpose are made known or evident in the physical world.
What religion did manifestation come from?
The concept of manifestation is not tied to a specific religion but has been adopted by various spiritual and philosophical beliefs. It is commonly associated with New Age spirituality, which incorporates ideas from multiple religious and metaphysical traditions.
What does manifest mean spiritually?
Spiritually, manifest refers to the process of bringing something into existence or making it evident through focused intention, visualization, and alignment with higher energies or divine power. It involves connecting with the spiritual realm to bring desired outcomes into reality.
Is manifesting dangerous?
The danger of manifesting lies in the intentions and ethical considerations behind it. If the intentions involve harm to oneself or others, manipulation, or the pursuit of selfish and materialistic desires, it can have negative consequences. It is important to align manifestation practices with positive values, empathy, and the well-being of all involved.