Manifesting Through a Trauma-informed Lens

The other day I came across a post that suggested that a person must feel worthy to manifest their dreams.

And inside I thought of both my (past, sometimes present) self and many other people who hold the absolute desire to whole-heartedly believe “x” about themselves because it would radically change their lives. But they can’t think their way there. And they’ve tried believing it, 6 million times over already, and every time, end up finding their way back to these internal systems. Systems designed to keep them safe, to make life predictable, to stay protected.

For some people, mindset shifts genuinely work. It’s enough to work with the mind, focus on thoughts, and take action. For others, the pain feels like it is lodged in the mind, body, and soul, with the upmost ache for it to LEAVE.  And the mindset shift is probably not going to be the best tool.

Manifesting rituals sound oversimplified because when done “properly”, they are usually done with some sort of ceremony that is connected to and through the heart, cosmos, and beyond, something that the mind is not in control of at all. And something that is very difficult to be translated through a social media or online post.

Now for someone who has attachment wounds and/or trauma held in their body, telling them to simply believe their worth is as helpful as being told to calm down when upset. It’s useless and it’s something that likely keeps them up at night, wondering how or when they’ll ever feel like enough. Dreaming of a life that feels so out of reach.

Furthermore, for people who have lived in systems of oppression, a mindset shift to believing they are safe to receive may not necessarily resonate with their body’s lived experience of keeping themselves protected while in survival mode.

Attachment wounds will be projected, yes, even with the universe, God, source, consciousness, All That Is. Because it’s still our relationship with the Divine, and where we go is where we are. And the good news is, the Divine embraces all that you are in the very here now moment. No fixing, no altering, no performing. It just is. Imagine whatever created this Earth, humans, animals, oceans, elements, atoms, and so on, evaluating your worthiness to receive - there is absolutely no such thing. That is the mind’s construct and these attachment wounds being projected onto Source. We live in a human world, filled with both beauty and pain, and part of that duality will make it unbelievably difficult for our minds to accept that we could be loved as we are, when so much around us has been a reminder of a love that is conditional.

So for someone who wants to practice manifesting, but continually finds themselves feeling like they have to reach so far, work so hard to manifest that thing - first ask yourself why you are working so hard to be loved by a force that already loves you unconditionally? Where have you felt love leave? Where have you had to hide, contort, blend in, shrink, or perform for love? And remember, the love from our family members, community, friends and so on, is not the same as the Love of the universe.

The next part is to remember that allowing joy, peace, abundance, love and so on to flow into your life means that it’s up to you to slowly, at your own pace, begin to open yourself up to that possibility. The resources of what you can ask for are limitless. It’s the receiving of them that can feel overwhelming and scary for someone who has always experienced instability, distrust, and discord as an expectation. It takes time to shift what has been familiar, to allowing something else to take its place, even if that something is good.

My recommendation is always starting with small, believable but uncomfortable steps. So for manifesting, if I want to manifest positive people into my life, I might start by consciously noticing peoples’ interactions and making an effort to focus on the positive. Smiles, kind gestures, light conversation, and so on. The next step might be that I smile at someone, and consistently practice this until it feels more comfortable. Then I might start to make small talk where I’d usually rush away. All of this while being cognizant of my body’s impulse to protect, with preparation for tools to soothe in these moments. Over time, these interactions allow me to open up to the idea that people can be kind. And so, what might seem seemingly out of no where, is an accumulation of all of the times I put myself out there by breaking the beliefs I held, relearning safety, and stretching my capacity for good people to come into my life. So now, the universe can offer me something different because I have enough room to hold a heartfelt desire and not feel it as a threat. It’s a conscious relationship being built within you and something vastly bigger than all of us.

Finally, because all of this work is done through our hearts, everything that we hold that does not align with our Truth, will be illuminated for us to meet, and reclaim. Reclaim does not mean we are broken and must be fixed. Reclaim means that all parts of us, no matter what belief that they hold, are held in the sanctity of our own heart center, with the unconditional regard they have always longed for. That they belong to you, no matter what.

If you have questions about manifesting or want to share your thoughts, message me at laura@soulmergence.com