lol it actually is cultural appropriation. But let me be clear: It’s not the usage of the word, it’s the fact that people aren’t even aware of its history that makes it cultural appropriation.
The first time an Instagram Reel popped up on my feed talking about manifestation, I straight up ignored it, Here we go. Another “spiritual” fad for TikTok to eat up. Unsurprisingly, I was right. ManifestationTok is a real thing:
Forgive me for not actually using TikTok, it’s banned in my country. This was the second-best option.
Manifestation is not unheard about; actually, according to OprahDaily, it was popularized by the best-selling 2006 novel, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne––a white, Australian author. (You might think, Why was the last detail necessary? I’ll get to it.) Of course, she’s not been the only one; in fact, she was merely the kick-starter. Here’s the Goodreads recommendation list for books about manifestation:
So, someone wrote a book about something and it blew up; that’s not unusual. Absolutely, it isn’t. If you deep dive into manifestation, you’ll hear about something called the 3-6-9 method; it applies to anything you’re trying to “manifest.” You would say a person’s name 3 times, recite your intentions for them 6 times, and say what you would say to them 9 times; or, you journal 3 times in the morning, 6 times during the day, 9 times before bed; or, you repeat your affirmations 3 times in the morning, 6 times during the day, 9 times before bed. You get it; 3-6-9 are the universe’s greatest numbers, blah blah blah. Don’t take it from me, actually, take it from the experts: The Manifestation Collective, whom you would trust to be a reliable source.
And what does ye wise old one say?
““The 369 manifestation method was one of the first exercises I discovered when I initially came across the law of attraction back in 2016. But before we move into how to use this technique to manifest, can I interest you in a little history lesson to begin? Now, where are my glasses…
Let me introduce Serbian-American inventor, Nikola Tesla. Tesla, famed for not only his inventions such as the remote control and the Tesla coil but also his spiritual enlightenment, noted the numbers 3, 6 and 9 as being ‘divine numbers’ and was quoted saying; ‘If you knew the magnificent of the numbers 3, 6 and 9, you have the key to the universe.’””
Pardon my French, but that’s bullshit. Actually, Tesla brought the idea of 3-6-9 to the Western world from Swami Vivekananda, the first in a succession of yogis who brought Vedic philosophy and religion to the West.
In that vein, most “spirituality” is actually just white-washed Hinduism, or Buddhism, or Jainism. And manifestation is nothing other than one more Eastern practice that has been mislabelled and made mainstream by Western social media; the list itself is a topic for a whole different article, but the big ones include yoga, the third eye, chakras, and of course, “chai tea”––which literally translates to “tea tea.” (Thanks, Starbucks.)
Unfortunately, this phenomenon does not apply only to Hindu or Indian practices; reciting the list of things that are now mainstream that were once sacred socio-cultural practices to many communities is a book of its own.
But what really is cultural appropriation?
To clear this up: neither your TikToks, nor your actual manifestation practices are exactly cultural appropriation. It is your lack of knowledge and your inability to admit, or ignorance to find out, the actual origins of the content you put out there. Cultural appreciation, which is when you seek to learn from and understand another culture while respecting their beliefs, differs from cultural appropriation in that the latter involves cherry-picking ideas from different cultures without respecting the beliefs behind them or where they came from. And that is exactly what this obsession with manifestation is––and as Indian, (somewhat) Hindu, I feel justified to call it out.
Manifestation is based on the “Law of Attraction,” which was said to be penned down by William Walker Atkinson in 1906. The real origins, however, are older than Atkinson by about 4,000 years––long enough for there not to be a debate. First mentioned in the Upanishads, a subcategory of the Vedas––a collection of the sacred texts of Vedic practices––the idea of manifestation has been written about extensively:
“That person, who desires for objects of pleasures, by contemplating on their properties, gets born, along with his desires, among those objects of pleasures.”
“From it the universe comes forth, in it the universe merges and in it the universe breathes. Therefore a man should meditate on Brahman with a calm mind. Now, verily, a man consists of will. As he wills in this world, so does he become when he has departed hence. Let him with this knowledge in mind form his wit. ”
“Whatever destinations and objects of pleasures, the man, whose mind is free from impurities, he obtains those destinations and those objects of pleasures.”
Go through all the articles on the first page of Google that comes up when you search “manifestation,” and tell me if you can find those quotes in any of them. If anything, you’ll rarely see a mention of either Hinduism, Jainism, or Buddhism; to these (poorly researched) authors, manifestation is a completely Western thing.
Because, of course, why would it not be? When Hindus or other Eastern religions practice the same thing, they are looked at fearfully, branded as “demonic.” But when Blair on TikTok posts a 30-second reel in which she shows you how to manifest anything you want––love, money, a fat ass, you name it––manifestation is now intriguing, appreciable, and very trendy.
Go through the Goodreads list too, do you see any non-white names? I’m not accusing any of those authors of bad research; or at least not yet, I haven’t read any of those books. But it’s interesting to note that the most famous books about an ancient Eastern spiritual practice are all written by non-Eastern––or non-Hindu, non-Buddhist, non-Jain (sounding)––people.
If you read this and your first reaction is to be offended, I understand. But take a step back and notice: this is not about you––unless you’re one of those people on TikTok posting uninformed manifestation videos, then this is definitely about you. No one is denying your right and ability to practice parts of our culture––yes, even the ones we are mocked for––but we’re asking you to learn what you’re talking about. Appreciate it more. Recognize its roots. And then, manifest all you want.
The funny thing? Manifestation is not a foolproof strategy to get anything and everything you want. This whitewashed trend of asking the universe for something and getting it, that’s not real manifestation. What is it really? Well, that’s a topic for another discussion.
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