About this episode
The episode explores the science behind manifesting and whether it can truly help individuals achieve their goals.
CrowdScience listener Kassy in India wants to know if there’s any science to support the practice of ‘manifesting’ – the idea that you can make your wishes come true just by writing down your goals and sending your dreams out to the universe. Is it just a wacky belief or can it be backed up by research? Caroline Steel looks at the evidence to see if manifesting works. She talks to researcher Lucas Dixon in Australia, who has found that people who believe in manifesting are more likely to take risky financial decisions or end up bankrupt. She meets neuroscientist Sabina Brennan in Ireland who argues that psychology has already proven that our thoughts and beliefs shape our reality, through cognitive behavioural therapy for example. So there is evidence to show that some of the techniques in manifesting can work. Caroline also talks to psychologist Gabriele Oettingen in the US, whose research has demonstrated that just thinking about our wishes actually decreases our energy and makes it less likely that we’ll achieve our goals. She’s come up with her own method for increasing the likelihood of success. And Caroline tries out a manifesting technique for herself. Can it help her…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Motley
Guests: Lucas Dixon, Sabina Brennan, Gabriele Oettingen
Topics covered
- manifesting
- psychology
- cognitive behavioural therapy
- financial decisions
Keywords
- science
- goals
- beliefs
- reality
Mentioned in this episode
Places: India, Australia, Ireland, US
More episodes of CrowdScience
- Why does paper fold so well? · June 12, 2026 · 26 min
- Do plants have personalities? · June 5, 2026 · 29 min
- What's the deal with tongues? · May 29, 2026 · 26 min
- Why am I an introvert? · May 22, 2026 · 26 min
- Why do we itch? · May 15, 2026 · 26 min
- How come sea levels are rising faster in some places than others? · May 8, 2026 · 31 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the CrowdScience podcast page.