Religion for Breakfast presents:

Intro to Manifesting


with Dr. Rachel Carbonara

Date: July 7th - August 25th

Time: Mondays at 12:00pm ET

Click here! Learn from Dr. Rachel Carbonara
Video Poster Image
INTRODUCTION

INTRO TO MANIFESTING

Manifesting has become so popular that the Cambridge Dictionary named “manifest” the word of the year for 2024. Celebrities from Ariana Grande to UFC president Dana White are promoting the practice along with thousands of social media influencers. But what is manifesting? Where did it come from? And why is it suddenly everywhere? A quick online search will yield an endless supply of simple answers to these questions. This course provides a framework for a deeper, more thorough, and academically rigorous exploration of manifestation.

The vast majority of the content we see online or in books about manifesting takes the form of a how-to, usually offering to teach readers or viewers the most effective way to manifest their dreams, goals, and desires. The aim of this course is not to teach you how to manifest. (Although, you will learn about the most influential schools of thought within manifesting along the way, and could choose to pursue it as a personal practice if you’d like!) The course also does not seek to prove or validate manifesting nor does it seek to debunk the practice. Instead, our aim is to become more thoughtful and informed consumers and critics of popular culture. The course will encourage you to form your own opinions about the spiritual practice of manifesting, opinions that are rooted in a strong understanding of the scientific, philosophical, historical, and ethical dimensions of the phenomenon.  

Together we will: 

  • Analyze the wide range of belief systems that underlie manifestation practices including philosophical idealism, scientific materialism, and quantum mysticism;

  • Map the history of the practice of manifesting, which can be traced back to the 19th century;

  • Evaluate common claims to a scientific basis for the practice;

  • Debate ethical concerns that have been raised about manifesting, ranging from concerns about individualism and consumerism to concerns about the potential dangers of magical thinking and “toxic positivity.”

 

After taking this class, students will be able to: 

  • Identify the beliefs and assumptions that underlie popular discourses about manifestation

  •  Analyze the scientific and historical accuracy of claims made about manifesting

  •  Evaluate ethical concerns related to the practice

INTRODUCING

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

DR. RACHEL CARBONARA

Dr. Rachel Carbonara is a scholar of contemporary spirituality and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University. She earned her PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago with a concentration in the Anthropology and Sociology of Religion.

Dr. Carbonara’s work examines spiritual-but-not-religious beliefs and practices, including but not limited to energy healing and manifestation. She has conducted ethnographic fieldwork with spiritual groups in the United States as well as in Cuzco, Peru and its surrounding Sacred Valley. Dr. Carbonara’s research has been supported by fellowships and grants from numerous institutions including the US Department of Education, the Tinker Foundation, and the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. She has contributed to public scholarship projects as a writer and producer with Religion for Breakfast, Princeton, Harvard,
and NPR.

GET INSTANT ACCESS TO

THE INTRO TO MANIFESTING

PAYMENT PLAN

$500

PER WEEK

  • 4 modules unlocked monthly
  • Monthly focus groups
  • Interactive assignments
  • Supportive online community
  • A 1:1 coaching session
REGISTER NOW
WEEK 1

Overview of Manifesting

This session will introduce students to the concept of manifesting.

  • What is it? And how does it work?
  • We’ll examine the key debates among manifestation advocates, past and present, when it comes to answering these two questions.
  • Reading: Introduction, Mind Magic pp. 7-17
WEEK 2

Manifesting and the Ethos of Personal Responsibility

In this session we dive into our first ethical quandary.

  • Manifestation generally teaches that each individual person is fully (or close to fully) responsible for their life circumstances. Some find this belief empowering and others find it harmful.
  • We’ll examine the arguments in favor of the personal-responsibility ethos as well as the critiques against it.
  • Reading: Chapter 1, Mind Magic pp. 19-35
WEEK 3

The Neuroscience
of Manifestation

  • Dr. James Doty, the author of our textbook,
    outlines a clear brain-based explanation for the process of manifesting.
  • His work, as well as the work of Dr. Tara Swart, has been used by numerous thought leaders and influencers to argue that manifesting can be fully understood through the framework of
    scientific materialism.

  •  Reading: Chapter 2, Mind Magic pp. 37-59

WEEK 4

Quantum Mysticism
and Manifestation

 

  • The author of our textbook is a neuroscientist,
    and in the section we’ll read this week he makes claims about physics.
  • Most physicists would deem these claims inaccurate. However, these sorts of inaccurate claims about physics are extremely common and they play a key role in beliefs about manifesting.
  • Reading: Chapter 2, Mind Magic pp. 60-65
WEEK 5

Manifesting and the History of Positive Thinking

  • Positive thinking—and the removal of negative thoughts from the mind—has been a central part of the practice of manifesting since the 19th century.
  • But in recent years many observers of manifesting have cautioned against “toxic positivity.”
  • Reading: Chapter 5, Mind Magic pp.108-133
WEEK 6

Manifestation and
Mental Reprogramming

  • A central aspect of manifesting is the process of reprogramming the mind. This can take many different forms, but often includes repeating affirmations, creating vision boards, and undergoing hypnosis.
  • Reading: Chapter 6, Mind Magic pp. 135-156 and Chapter 3, Mind Magic pp. 67-84
WEEK 7

Intuition and
Synchronicity in Manifesting

  • Manifesters generally believe themselves to be co-creating their reality with a divine Universe.
  • In this process, they look for signs and signals from the Universe to guide their actions. These signs are thought to come in the form of “synchronicities” and intuitive feelings.
  • Reading: Chapter 7, Mind Magic pp. 158-175 and Chapter 4, Mind Magic pp. 86-106
WEEK 8

Is Manifesting Science
or Magic?

  • While some explanations of manifesting stress that it is a magical process and others stress that it is a scientific process, even those that stress science almost always leave some room for magic. This is evident in our neuroscience-based textbook!
  • Reading: Chapter 8, in Mind Magic pp. 177-195

An online seminar brought to you by Religion for Breakfast

Have you ever felt like something is missing in your life? Like no matter how hard you work, you are always behind where you (or society) think you should be?

If so, then the Self-Love Master class is definitely for you.

We'll help you tune out the world around you and break down your walls. Once you've gotten to know and love who you are on the inside, we'll teach you how to nurture and protect that person as you go through your daily life.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.