The word manifest may put you off, but I like James Doty (MD)’s definition of manifesting. He says “once the body and the mind are in a state of balance, we have the power of manifestation, we can start thinking clearly about what we want to manifest.” Renown Stanford neurosurgeon and neuroscientist Dr James Doty says we all have goals and intentions. When your nervous system is balanced you can begin to manifest.Studies show that as little as 5 minutes outside in nature or even looking at an image of nature balances your nervous system. When you are outside in nature your autonomic nervous system shifts to the parasympathetic (PNS) and you become less self focused, calm, and more connected to others and your world around you. You experience joy and awe. The relaxed PNS state (that can also be achieved by breathing and just thinking about the joy and awe in the world) is what Dr James Doty’s recent book “Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything” (link: https://www.amazon.ca/Mind-Magic-Neuroscience-Manifestation-Everything/dp/1399710966/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title) teaches. The book is well worth the read and fits beautifully with your practice of spending time in nature or green spaces.
The ability to manifest is based in Neuroscience
Doty’s idea of manifestation is not the self-serving get rich quick scheme, tarot cards, crystals, or pseudoscience. Doty’s view is based in “significant developments in brain imaging that allows us to watch the brain transform on a cellular, genetic, and even molecular level. We can now speak about manifestation in terms of cognitive neuroscience……and the brain’s extraordinary ability to change, heal, and remake itself, known as neuroplasticity.”
Manifesting according to Dr. Doty is the process of intentionally embedding thoughts and desires into your subconscious. For this he suggests visualization and picturing powerful positive emotions of your desired goal. Why? Because your brain will not know the difference between the real and the imagined. Dr Doty says this is manifestation is not magic – it is neuroscience.
How To Dr Doty Starts His Day
Dr Doty starts his day with a bedside practice. Every morning he sits at the side of his bed and takes three slow breaths (inhale for 4-6 seconds) and exhale for 4-6 seconds). This he says shifts his nervous system to the parasympathetic (PNS) or strengthens his PNS if he is already there. Then Dr Doty thinks of the joy and awe in this world (here you could remember a sight or sound of the natural world). This Dr Doty says puts him in the right mindset to manifest (think about how you are taking back your outside mindset). Dr Doty says this takes to a place where you are not self focused, where you find comfort, where you are calm and thoughtful….he asks you to sit with this for a while.
How to Manifest Your Intentions
When you are in this calm, thoughtful, connected and open hearted state – your positive belief systems become available. You believe that things will get better. This says Dr. Doty is when your physiology works the best. Simply writing down 3 things you are grateful for. Today I wrote down: I am alive, my body is working, and I can love. Dr Doty asks you to sit with what would make you happy. Ask yourself: what am I doing to help my family and my environment?
Write down what you want to manifest: Read it silently, Read it aloud, Visualize using you senses -see it happening, Repeat often, add detail.
This gets the attention of the brain’s Salience Network which then activates your brain’s Attention Network. Once these are activated your brain says Doty becomes “a bloodhound looking ways” to confirm your intention. This is the same Salience Network that Dr Norman Farb talks about in his book Better in Every Sense and the last podcast episode: Dr Farb Wants You To Test Drive Your Senses. Be patient, do not be attached to a timeline or an outcome, and visualize a few times a day – each time adding more detail – imagine how your senses will feel. Doty says that when you activate your subconscious – it is deeply embedded – consciousness – remain optimistic . Don’t put a time frame on it and have the belief that it will happen. Your pyshiology works the best when you are in heart mode – not in DMN of what can’t be.
The Green Zone
This is also a state – which Doty calls the ”Green Zone which our consciousness can be mustered most effectively visualize and pursue our goals. When PNS is activated, the tone of the vagus nerve increases and a state of well being that facilitates general health and releases beneficial hormones such as oxytocin that are key to immune and defense systems – which helps with learning, critical thinking, creativity by enabling the flow state and basically optimizes human experience.”When you are in nature, mindful (notice), breathe you are able to interrupt the negative thoughts and shift your nervous system. When you are in this parasympathetic mode (where we are meant to be) Doty says these bioelectrical impulses go to your heart and your mind. He says this state slows your heart rate and improves your heart rate variability. Dr Doty reminds you that “your heart is a muscle, and you can control your heart rate and heart rate variability.”In this state you are shifting into what he calls the love mode. This is when you feel safe, warm, and protected…. Unconditionally loved. The rest and digest state when your parasympathetic nervous system comes into play is the very same state of well-being that you experience when you spend time in nature and green space.
The Mind Magic of Manifestation
James Doty MD says that “Every day is an opportunity to change how you perceive and react to the world . The magic of the process is that it is the same hardware….when you set your mind to a good result, the pathway is exactly the same, but the software is updated through positive neurofeedback – by building inner power. This is step one (of manifesting).”
You Are Manifesting All of The Time
Doty reminds us that are manifesting all the time – we might not be aware of this and to ssk yourself: “What have I already manifested?”When you are in negative thinking/worry or rumination mode, your nervous system is in Fight, Flight, Freeze or the sympathetic state (SNS). Doty states that we all have negative self talk. All we need is some awareness of when it happens, to recognize it for what it is …(sympathetic nervous system taking over). For some this is a chronic state that leads to disease and decreased life expectancy. Doty reminds us that this was not intended to be our steady state – on high alert based on fear. We are meant to be living in the parasympathetic state or the love mode as Doty calls it. Doty says it is not possible to manifest in this fear mode state. This state is also called your default mode network (DMN) – where your mind goes out of habit. You need to have strategies to shift your mind and body into Rest and Digest (parasympathetic nervous system) and the love mode – away from the fear mode. Being outside in nature sets you up for manifesting your goals and desires. In book Take Back Your Outside Mindset, I share science and practices as your mindset changes to attention, focus, joy and awe when you are in green space or looking at images of nature. In my book Optimize Your Heart Rate: Balance Your Mindset and Body With Green Space, I give the science and ways that being in green space improves your heart rate and heart rate variability. The truth is your thoughts affect your reality and you have more control over your mind and body than you think you do. In my last article/podcast … the recent research of Norman Farb, PhD shows that in just a few seconds at a time of dropping into your senses you can change how you see the world. Farb’s research shows that using your senses (a lot more than normal) is where the magic lies….. and that “your attention is your superpower – what goes into your awareness matters and you can select what that is.”
Manifestation Requires Self Compassion and Compassion For Others
Doty shows how you can fundamentally change your brain and your heart. He wants you to open your heart to see what you can do for others. He wants you to bring your heart to every problem, and through your heart create change. He goes further to say that manifestation must be based on self compassion and compassion for others. This is the only way Doty says that manifestation will work. He explains it this way: “One of major adaptations is the evolution of the dorsal vagal nerve in the myelinated parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which links the organs to the central nervous system. The reason this is so significant was that it formed the basis of the affiliative and care response which in turn supplied the physiological pathways for our ability to express compassion. This part of the vagus nerve is the basis for well-being in which we are calm, focused, in flow and able to care responsively for others.” The vagus nerve is the main part of your calm parasympathetic nervous system. Again this is the state you are in when you are outside in nature or even looking at an image of nature.
As Doty says “Everyone wants to be seen and loved. Regardless of your circumstance – each of us has the ability to help at least one person every day. This helps you and gives you the power to manifest.
Manifesting is Something to Sit With
Doty urges you to let your guard down – just feel comfortable with who you are. This way you are not lost. This way you can be present to make things happen. Manifest is something to sit with. Doty reminds you that your purpose in life is connection. To connect with people. The journey is with others. He says when you are connected with and caring for others everything in your life improves.
Your Balanced Nervous System Gives You Agency
Both Doty and Farb provide the research to show that The PNS brings with it the ability to process emotions, memories, plans, which then allow us to be much more thoughtful and discerning in our reactions to our experience. Think of the awe and joy in the world outside in green spaces. Doty says that this spacious processing ability provided by the PNS is the key to reclaiming your agency to change how you react to the world itself. And that this state of calm sets the stage for manifesting your desired goals.
Balancing Your Nervous System for Manifestation
Dr Doty explains that when you are in the rest and digest state – like you are when we are in your favourite piece of nature or green space, this is when you can achieve the process of clear and focused thinking.Doty reminds us that all of us have goals. Write down the top 3 read it silently, read it aloud, visualize. Habit. Although Doty’s book is called Mind Magic, Doty says there is no magic – this is neuroscience. So get busy, embed your intention in your subconscious, notice little wins that will strengthen you along the way. Doty says “don’t go looking to the universe to save you. You are the universe – that is your gift. “
Both Farb and Doty use mindfulness, noticing and paying attention to what matters as their strategies to change your brain pathways and you think about the world. As James Doty, MD says in his book Mind Magic, once your body and mind are in a state of balance and peace, you have the power of imagination to manifest. You can an illusion, “ look at me in the sunshine, I am here, changing how I view the world.” when you change how you view the world. “
Both Farb and Doty wants you to first calm/tame your mind to reclaim your mind – to give you agency, power, your super power, and as we say here to Take Back Your Outside Mindset.
