Manifest

Keith Johnson, Pixabay

I promised to delve deeper into ‘manifest,’ the Cambridge English Dictionary Word of 2024: ‘manifest’ - “To use methods such as visualisation and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen.”

Apparently, the word has extended its reach from within the self-help community/social media across mainstream media and beyond, as celebrities, such as England striker Ollie Watkins spoke of ‘manifesting’ their success in 2024.  

 ‘Manifest’ has been used in English since the late 1300’s, meaning "clearly revealed to the eye or the understanding, open to view or comprehension."

The quasi-spiritual practice stems from a 100-year-old spiritual philosophy movement but it clearly has some overlap with prayer, with the huge distinction that ‘manifesting’ is impersonal – it doesn’t appeal to a divine being. Another key difference is that prayer is predominantly performed on behalf of others; it has an altruistic purpose, whereas ‘manifesting’ appears to be solely focussed on achieving one’s own goals. Though, in the case of Ollie Watkins, I’m sure ‘own goals’ were the last thing on his mind.

I’m intrigued to see whether ‘manifesting’ continues to gain momentum or fizzles out. I can understand the appeal for those who seek a spiritual dimension to their lives without being answerable to a personal divine being who cares more about our values than our success.