Hey, Nicole here. Welcome back to the Manifestation Files.
In Part 1, we traced “manifesting” from its deep, complex roots in Hermeticism (cool, mystical, “As above, so below” ) to its simplified American makeover in New Thought (“like attracts like,” “Law of Attraction” ).
Now, we need to talk about the final rebrand. This is the one you see everywhere today. Proponents argue that the weird, counterintuitive discoveries of quantum mechanics provide scientific proof that our minds can shape reality.
As someone who loves digging into tech and science, this claim always bugged me. Does it hold up? Let’s explain it all.
The “Quantum” Argument in a Nutshell
The argument usually goes like this: “At the quantum level, everything is just a wave of pure possibility. It only becomes a ‘particle’—or real—when an ‘observer’ looks at it. You are the observer! Your consciousness is what ‘collapses the wave function’ and turns possibility into reality. Therefore, quantum physics proves you create your reality!”
It sounds so scientific. It feels so profound.
It is also a complete misrepresentation of the physics.
Physics 101: What’s Actually Happening?
To see where the “linguistic sleight-of-hand” comes in, we have to quickly (I promise!) understand what physicists are actually talking about.
1. The “Observer Effect”
This is the big one. Yes, in quantum mechanics, the act of measurement disturbs a quantum system. For example, to “see” an electron, you have to hit it with something (like a photon of light), which knocks it off its original course.
Here’s the critical part: The “observer” does not have to be a conscious human being.
An inanimate detector, a photographic plate, or even a random air molecule bumping into the particle can act as an “observer”. Consciousness is completely “irrelevant” to the process. The argument that your mind is the special ingredient that collapses reality is simply not supported by the science.
2. “Everything is Energy & Vibration”
This is another common one. Proponents say, “Thoughts are energy! They have a ‘vibration’ or ‘frequency’ you ‘broadcast’ to the universe”.
This is what’s called an equivocation—using a word that has two different meanings as if they’re the same.
- Physics “Energy”: A specific, quantifiable property of a physical system ($E=mc^2$).
- Spiritual “Energy”: A metaphor for a mood or a feeling.
Your brain does produce electromagnetic waves (EEGs), but they are “orders of magnitude too weak to influence external matter” and are “largely confined to the skull”. They are not a magic signal to the cosmos.
3. “Quantum Entanglement”
This is Einstein’s “spooky action at a distance”. It’s a real phenomenon where two particles can be linked, so that measuring one instantly influences the state of the other, no matter how far apart they are.
Manifestation gurus use this as a metaphor for you being “entangled” with your desires. But in physics, it describes a very specific, measurable correlation between quantum particles, not a mechanism for wish fulfillment.
The Verdict: “Quantum Flapdoodle”
There is no “genuine connection” between the Law of Attraction and quantum physics. It’s a pseudoscience built on “coincidental similarities of language”. Physicist Murray Gell-Mann had a perfect name for this: “quantum flapdoodle”.
So, if manifestation isn’t a universal law of physics… why does it feel like it works for so many people? And more importantly… what’s the harm?
That’s where we’re going next. In the final part of this series, we’re moving from physics to psychology. We’ll explore the real reasons “manifesting” can feel powerful, but also uncover its dark side: the toxic positivity, the self-blame, and the very real ethical problems.
Stay tuned for Part 3: The Good, The Bad, and The Morally Reprehensible.
-Nicole
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