Awesome Amanda’s Burning Question: “My main difficulty in understanding that LOA really works is masturbation! Let me explain: when we have sexual fantasies and engage in self-pleasure, we are visualizing something, we are in the present moment with it, and we are intensely feeling its existence both physically and emotionally. In other words, we are holding the vibration for an extended period of time as if our fantasy is really happening. Many entertain the same fantasies regularly for years at a time. So, if the LOA really works, wouldn’t there be three hot men rubbing me down with oil right now? All joking aside, if the LOA principles were true, wouldn’t our sexual fantasies be (accidentally) manifesting left and right as living proof?”

Dear Awesome Amanda,

First of all, let’s all give a big collective sigh of gratitude that not all of our thoughts just accidentally manifest all over the place, sexual or otherwise. If fantasies of any kind simply came into the physical, there would be whole lot more sexy vampires running around, sure, but I’m certain that we’d also be inundated with people’s heads just spontaneously exploding in traffic. That sounds like a lot of nasty clean-up work to me. But, if we use visualization as a tool to help us manifest what we want, then why don’t the images we so often focus on, good or bad, simply show up? What gives?

Visualizing is NOT manifesting

Let’s start by taking a look at what the images in our heads actually represent. Visualization is simply a way for our minds to translate non-physical energy into something we can comprehend. It’s a way for us to “see” energy. When we allow our minds to simply drift on a subject, our visualizations will show us where our current vibration is at. This is what happens when you’re fantasizing about your dream dude and he suddenly turns into a bit of a douche. The images in your head just showed you that you have some resistance – a belief that is currently interfering with your manifestation of Mr. Perfect. When we actively engage with our visualizations and shape them into something that feels better, we are actually manipulating energy. By changing the “vision”, we are changing our own frequency (providing the new picture is still in line with what we can believe.)

Visualizing is NOT the same as the act of manifesting, however. It’s a tool which we can use to help us manifest what we want, but the images in our heads don’t just come into the physical. It’s a wee bit more complicated than that.

What determines the shape of our manifestations?

Because our fantasies are simply representations of energy, what’s important isn’t WHAT we’re seeing, but what it stands for. Now, of course it does happen that things come into our reality exactly as we imagined them, so let me give you deeper explanation using an example:

Let’s say that you want to manifest something small and meaningless, as a way to prove to yourself that LOA really works. So, you imagine a butterfly. To you, the butterfly represents a stronger belief in your own power to create your reality. You imagine it and let it go.

If you’re actually open to increasing your belief in your own power, then you’ll receive a manifestation that will match this intention. It might be an actual butterfly. Or, it might be an image of a butterfly. Or the word “Butterfly” printed on the sign of a van. Now, your manifestation will probably involve a butterfly to some extent, since anything else, a Ladybug, for example, wouldn’t be recognizable to you as a representation of your ability to manifest. Whatever actually shows up will be a match to the degree to which you were able to allow this new, stronger level of belief (a butterfly sticker might represent a slightly “weaker” alignment than the actual insect). But that’s not all.

The manifestation you receive will also be shaped by the following:

  • It will be perfectly designed to represent YOUR vibration within YOUR belief system. In other words, it will be meaningful to you, but not necessarily to anyone else. Many people fail to recognize awesome manifestations because they’re waiting for validation and agreement from others.
  • It will come to you via the path of least resistance, meaning – in the way that your own belief system will most easily allow. If you live in the middle of a city and an actual tropical butterfly showing up in your house would shock you, you might get your manifestation in a different way, say, a butterfly on TV.
  • It will represent whatever best matches your vibration. If you are aligned with what you want, your manifestation will generally be much better than what you could visualize. Our brains aren’t equipped to come up with the BEST representation possible, just something that feels like it. A place holder, if you will.
  • It will come in whatever shape or form serves you best.

It’s for your own good

What exactly do I mean by “serves you best”? That sounds a bit ominous, doesn’t it? Like when your parents punished you “for your own good.” That’s not what I mean, at all, though.

Most people think that manifestations are either a form of reward (you’re in alignment with Who You Really Are! Here’s your big ass bank account!), or punishment (you have negative beliefs! Let us rub your nose in them!) They’re actually neither. Manifestations are always, ALWAYS there to help guide you towards your joy.

A “positive” manifestation will be perfectly designed to help move you even further into alignment. For example, you might manifest a particularly rare butterfly, one that would have no reason to be where you are (like a South American Butterfly in Canada). This could then cause you to recognize the incredible orchestration as being representative of just how powerful and supported you are, strengthening your belief even further.

A “negative” manifestation will be perfectly designed to be a catalyst for growth. It will represent your resistance (how your limiting belief feels) in such a way as to evoke that feeling in you precisely. This resistance may or may not be obviously related to what you’re trying to manifest (everything is connected, so there is always a relation, but it’s not always going to be obvious).

So, let’s say you’d like to believe that you can manifest, but you really don’t. You feel totally powerless. In that case, you might visualize a butterfly, but desperately need it to show up in exactly the way you’re envisioning it, or you’ll dismiss it as “coincidence”. In this case, you’d receive a manifestation that was close enough to a butterfly to get your attention, but different enough to bring out your disappointment. Your manifestation would “prove” to you that you can’t manifest (“See? I never get what I want!”), which is actually the active belief in this scenario. You could then recognize this negative emotion as a messenger, acknowledge what the feeling of disappointment showed you, and open yourself up to the possibility that you are, actually, more powerful than you may have thought. Being willing to recognize the “off” butterfly as a manifestation, after all, would be a good start.

In either case, you manifested precisely what would not only represent your current vibration, but what would be most likely to move you forward in your endeavor to become fully aligned.

Manifestations don’t match your visualization

So, you see, manifestations often don’t match your visualization. They will match your active vibration, instead. You can visualize that new car all you want, but if you’re not a match to what that car represents, you won’t get it. You’ll get whatever does match the vibration you’re currently at. On the other hand, when you become aligned with the frequency that the new car represents, you’ll manifest ALL the stuff that matches that vibration.

You see, your imagination isn’t designed to come up with the BEST POSSIBLE representation of the frequency you’re reaching for, just A representation. This is a type of place holder if you will. And what your mind can conceive of as the ultimate manifestation is often just the Universe’s basic model. It has a whole lot more bells and whistles up its sleeve. This is why it’s a good idea to affirm “This or something better” when focusing on your desires.

When you see something that makes your heart skip, like a car for example, you’re not inspired to want that car, you’re inspired to want to match that frequency, which comes with all kinds of awesome goodies. That car just evokes the feeling of that frequency from you. Focus on it as a way to get into the feeling state – which is the actual goal anyway, and get ready to receive manifestations as consequence. Let me repeat that to make it really clear: The stuff is not the goal. It’s a consequence of achieving the goal.

Why you’re not surrounded by oily men

Ok, so now that I’ve explained the whole concept, let’s apply this knowledge to your question about masturbation: Why aren’t we surrounded by oily men or naked circus acts or sexy vampires? After all, they’re clearly awesome representations of frequencies we are only too happy to line up with. Or are they? When you have a sexual fantasy that totally turns you on, what exactly are you lining up with? Desire, feeling sexy, feeling worthy, relaxing/letting go, getting into a state of NOW, and self-care/love are just a few possibilities (note: all very awesome possibilities. Masturbation is a fantastic tool with many beneficial uses. I’ll explore this in a separate blog post, though). In that moment, the gorgeous guy you’re thinking about may not actually represent your dream relationship. He may simply be a means to an end, a way to be kind to yourself, a way to get rid of stress.

Another example of this kind of visualizing is if you have an angry fantasy, where you see yourself flinging people out a window. Will that actually happen? No. The visualization served to help you release anger, let off steam and move into a more empowered state. You are lining up with a frequency (a more empowered one, in this example), but it’s not really represented by violence. The actual manifestations that come after such an anger release would represent greater empowerment – an opportunity for you to stand up for yourself, for example, or simply a feeling of strength and confidence.

Bottom line

Manifestation, when you really break it down, is a fairly complex issue. Each manifestation has to be perfectly matched to the exact vibration that’s being offered, fit within the belief system of the individual, help them move forward towards what they want, be significant to that person, and fit within the parameters of what they want (as much as that individual will allow). Thank goodness we aren’t in charge of that orchestration! Do you now see why it’s so frustrating when you try to make stuff happen? The Universe has got this. And this is also why it’s impossible to judge someone else’s manifestation – you can’t possibly know all the variables that went into attracting it. And you don’t have to. You don’t even have to understand all of this in order to Deliberately Receive the reality you want. All you have to do is to focus on whatever representation you’ve found that helps you to reach the feeling state you want (or just feel good), and then allow yourself to be led to it. By the hand. Up the stairs. Cue the porno music…

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  • I have another answer:
    You are actually manifesting your thought with your masturbation, you think of hot guys and then you manifested your desires with your physical action. That means if you keep thinking like that and feeling that BUT you don’t manifest that whit your own hands the universe WILL find a way to give that to you. That is if you keep thinking about it without masturbating cus you will be full of horny energy and men will not resist to feel that attraction.

  • Sooooo funnnyyyyy. LOL. The porno post was super funny too. Thank you, Melody! I just lovvvvvveeeeee your posts. They’re the best nuggets in the whole wide world.

  • Great Post Melody!

    Every post helps to bring the LOA a tiny bit clearer and THANK YOU for keeping it simple and joyful! I think what really got me thinking was the idea of matching with the vibration of what I want… Thats so simple yet so intense and fun all at the same time!! :))))

  • Melody: ” Manifestation, when you really break it down, is a fairly complex issue. ” No shit Sherlock!! The more I study LoA the more complicated it seems to become. Does anyone know if there is a bullet point/outline anywhere here that really simplifies how to manifest? If there is no such post, that certainly would be very helpful to everyone here, no doubt.

    • I’m no expert for sure…. seems to me though
      STEP 1: Feel good. (happy, blessed, awake, aware…etc cause even if its frustrating you are learning from it more about what you want)

      • Nina,

        Thanks for this reminder! YES, YES, YES! So quickly we forget that that’s our main goal and in doing so we complicate the process!!!!

        Grateful,
        Marjorie 🙂

    • Hi Kathy,

      I’m not always the best at explaining things, but I want to try. 🙂
      From what I understand, you simply have to find a better feeling perspective on whatever it is that is bothering you.

      This is the “formula” that I have used and it has helped me overcome a few obstacles.

      First of all, think about whatever it is that you want to manifest. I’ll use an example of something that I’ve actually had success with.

      So say, you’re burned out with your job and you really need a vacation, but simply taking the time isn’t really an option right now. You have a ton of crap to do and you’re pretty sure that your boss isn’t going to let you have a vacation anytime soon. You just want a little time to yourself. A STAYcation would be fine. You just want some time to relax and unwind.

      Next, simplify what it is that you want down to a CORE emotion or feeling. What you really want here is freedom. Even if it’s just temporary.

      Next think about how freedom feels to you. Does it feel totally good, with no bad feelings at all? Do you just KNOW that you can still get some time off regardless of whether or not your boss is going to “let” you or not? Good! You’re aligned with it and you’re gonna get what you want soon.

      When I visualized being free, I actually had no problem accepting it. Within a couple of days, we had a huge snow storm and our office closed down for a couple of days. It was right before Valentine’s day (Friday) and my hubby and I had already requested to be off that day. Then Monday was President’s day (hubby and I have governement jobs, so we were off this day too). My “last day” at work was on a Tuesday. I couldn’t go in that Wednesday or Thursday because of the snow, Friday we asked off for Valentine’s day, we’re always off Saturday and Sunday, and then Monday we were closed for President’s day. I got an unexpected week long vacation! It was awesome! 🙂

      Now, if freedom doesn’t feel totally awesome and make you giddy with excitement, then you have some work to do. If you think of your freedom and something pops up like “But my boss will never let me have time off” or “I can’t take any time off, I have so much to do” THEN you have some sort of limiting belief blocking you.

      Meditate on this feeling of freedom and try to find out WHY freedom doesn’t make you feel all giddy and happy. Do you have a belief that you can’t really have what you want? Do you have a belief that you are powerless? Remember: Either you create your reality or you don’t (you do).

      Meditation will help you discover the root cause and then you can work on shifting that. If you don’t want to meditate (I know some people don’t like to), try to find something that occupies you and slows your mind down. “Get in the zone” as it’s called. Slowing your mind down is how you hear the “answers” to your problems. If you set the intention to feel better about something and you manage to calm your mind, the answer will come to you. It could be an odd, fleeting thought that just pops up. It could be something you see on T.V. or hear a friend say. It could come from anywhere, so you have to pay attention. A cluttered mind will miss these subtle cues (because they will be subtle……well many times they are. You won’t really get slapped in the face unless this is a belief that you’ve been resisting for a long time)

      From my experience, once the answer hits like that, the belief should automatically shift. You can tell if it shifted or not through more visualization. Try visualizing freedom again and see how it feels. If it feels good now (with no negative feelings attached to it) then you will get what you want soon. If it still doesn’t feel good, then you didn’t find the root cause and at that point………..I would set up a call with Melody. 🙂

      And you can replace “freedom” with anything. Whether it be money, love, health, whatever.

      This is totally based on my personal experience. It might be a little different for everyone, but I think that is the basic “formula” for this LOA thing. I hoped that helped. It wasn’t really bullet point, but I don’t know how you would do that. It is kind of complicated to explain. I hope it made some sense anyway.

      Good luck to you! 🙂

      • Summer, thanks for your thorough explanation! I’m loving everyone’s replies today! I’m so thankful right now for everyone’s insight and of course for AWESOME MELODY!!!
        😀 Marjorie

      • Great explanation Summer. Thanks for taking the time to do that. Do you think that not feeling good ALL the time causes setbacks or delays? (Even though most of the time I feel great.) If so, what is the length of delay? Days, weeks, months, years? It is after all, quite difficult to feel good ALL the time. My primary goal is freedom..to go where I want, when I want, with whomever I want, for as long as I want. My vision board is jam packed with all the things freedom means to me. Will I buy stuff? well of course but it’s not my primary reason for wanting freedom. You said, “Now, if freedom doesn’t feel totally awesome and make you giddy with excitement,..” Well I’ve been doing this for months now so the giddiness and excitement isn’t once what it was as it’s truly hard to stay “up” all the time..or are you able to? If so, how? But I do get really relaxed and a genuine automatic smile comes over my face when I think of going to Islamorada & Keys, when I want for as long as I want and not even having to check my bank account.

        You said, “Meditation will help you discover the root cause and then you can work on shifting that.” How does one properly meditate? Should I be actively searching for something during meditation, if so what? Do I think of what I’m trying to manifest during this time, do I completely tune out all thoughts and get a silent mind, or what exactly? I do a guided meditation by Kelli Howell which I like. I usually fall asleep so not sure if that’s ok or I should be doing “work” during this time? Thanks in advance.

        • You guys are very welcome! I’m glad it was helpful. 🙂

          I don’t think not feeling good all the time would cause any setbacks. We’re human and we have emotions, but they’re there for a reason. I think it just depends on how you feel most of the time. If you are becoming happy more often than not then I think you are on the right track.

          I have my off days too where I think “What if I really do get stuck working a job I’m not passionate about forever?” and stuff like that. Usually when I start thinking like that, there is a reason. Something’s bothering me and it may not even have anything to do with my job. That’s when I meditate to see if I get any “hints” as to what is bothering me. Which sometimes, I’m in a spot where I can’t meditate (like I’m at work or something) so I can actually put my headphones on and listen to music. That helps me too. Anything to make me feel better, but if I can meditate, I will choose that first. THEN I can go back and try to figure out why I was feeling the way I was feeling earlier.

          I meditate everyday now, when I wake up in the morning and before I go to bed. In the morning (around 5AM) I get up and do a meditation where I just sit there and try my best not to think at all and concentrate on my breathing. I like to count my breathes. If I lose count or my mind wanders, I just start over. I’m up to about 10 minutes now. I lose count a lot though. I get to a point to where I just completely space out and stop counting. Which I guess that’s what’s supposed to happen. 🙂

          Then I do a guided meditation at night before bed. I use the Re-Awakening Meditations. They’re awesome! 🙂

          But I wouldn’t actively search for anything during meditation. The point of meditation is to shut off your logical mind (or ego) and let your intuitive mind speak to you. This is where I was messing up for a long time while doing this. I was always actively trying to solve everything, thinking, thinking, analyzing. I still do it sometimes, but I’m learning to let go and trust. I would say slowly but surely, but recently it’s becoming nicer and easier to let go for a change. 🙂

    • I haven’t found one.
      but I will share with you what I know.
      This is my take on LOA and I would love some feedback on it.

      1. We experience our reality through 4 channels: emotional, mental, physical and spiritual. These are like lenses on a camera. We see the world through them.

      2. we focus like a torch. What we focus on, we will see clearly. The rest is fuzzy.

      According to LOA, we attract more of what we focus on.

      When we attract something to our reality, it can come through any of the 4 channels.
      If we are not shining our torch on the right channel, we will miss it.
      The universe will do its best to send it again and will remind us of the delivery.
      So, if you will have a nagging feeling that you’re missing something important. That’s the reminder.

      The secret is to visit all 4 channels to “deliberately” receive the item we ordered.

      but how?

      method 1:
      Focus on the forest before the tree. Focus on general before specific. Zoom out first to see which channel the item is being delivered through, them zoom in to inspect the item in details.

  • That was very reassuring to read! I have a very fertile imagination and I’m always fantasizing about one thing or another. It could be writing myself into my favourite TV show whilst walking home from work, creating an imaginary scenario for an upcoming social event, reliving a conversation I’ve had with someone with what I wish I had said or *ahem* other things…

    I actually enjoy getting lost in these fantasies and I’ve translated a lot of stories in my head onto paper, maybe in the hope of publishing a novel one day. However ever since becoming familiar with the LOA I was always a little worried that I might bring some of the darker aspects of these stories into my reality by constantly visualising them.

    But then again, I’m sure that JK Rowling doesn’t have an ongoing battle with Lord Voldemort in her everyday life, nor does Stephen King actually live in a horror story!

  • Thank you, again, Melody for offering a better feeling perspective about things. I’ve been dreaming and fantasizing about cursing people out for the past few weeks. Part of me felt good to release, but part of me was a little worried that those angry fantasies were signs of things to come.

    Amanda is awesome, and so is her question! Sexual energy is creative energy, but I’m grateful my fantasy ‘friends’ remain relegated to that realm. They really are only good for one thing.

  • Ok – nice post and question. So, my muddled bit us this – manifested test items (within 36 hours, 20 hours and 10 minutes: seem to be getting better at this) – 2 feathers of a particular design and a daffodil.
    Feel inspired, joyous and exhilerated as a result.
    Now for other stuff – a specific new car (not a Mercedes or a flashy one as that’s ‘not me’)
    Can hear it, smell it etc etc
    Ended up seeing 2 exact models in one day- all details correct!
    On way home from work yesterday, after40 driving minutes asked for a ‘sign’ fromUniverse of car coming to me….2 minutes from home there it sat at a junction THEN one pulled next to me in parking bay when I popped to local shop on final minute of journey.

    I was in joyful tears!

    SO I took this and felt this as absolute reassurance but now I am a bit down that it is actually a sign of ‘off par’ manifestation and NOT a ‘sign’

    Like, here’s your dream car, driven by someone else rather than a sign if it coming my way(if that makes sense)
    Oh, by the way I live in a city, with limited feathers and my car is NOT a common one!!!

  • WOW! I just had two major “a-ha” moments while reading this. Melody YOU ROCK!!!! 🙂

    One of them I won’t really get in to as it involves my own um……”fantasies”. But I totally get now why I’m into…….what I’m in to. And I’ll just leave it at that. 🙂 lol

    But this: “The stuff is not the goal. It’s a consequence of achieving the goal.”

    That right there hit me like a ton of bricks and it almost made me cry. I have been in the process of learning to let go of the “money” aspect of all of this. I’ve been setting the intention that I want to let go of this “money” thing and focus on the “happy” first because I KNOW that is what I need to do. Again, it’s something I’m getting intellectually, but not really GETTING. At first I was just focusing on “I want a new house”, “I want a new car”……I want, I want, I want. And I have seen – seems like EVERYWHERE (books I’ve been reading, other blog posts) – about how the money is not the goal, quit focusing on the money. I think the U is smacking me in the face now. Or maybe it’s still whispering. Anyway, I get it now. I’m listening U. You can stop smacking me. 🙂

    Melody I freakin’ love you! You are the BEST!!!!! 🙂

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