The term “manifestation” has lately been experiencing a sort of heyday, thanks to a resurgence in New Age philosophies. The concept is seemingly straightforward–The power of your thoughts can mold the very fabric of your reality. Or in terms you might hear at the next festival, “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” But before you scoff and dismiss this as pure hocus-pocus, let’s consider some historic, scientific, and psychological perspectives.

The concept of bringing something you desire into existence through aspirational-thought practices is nothing new: It has roots in the 19th-century New Thought spiritual movement, which included the belief that our thoughts can influence the material world and, essentially, that positive thinking is the answer to most of our earthly problems (Phineas Quimby, 1802). This concept of manifesting your reality through thought (or the “law of attraction,” as it’s sometimes called) can be traced even further back to ancient spiritual teachings, including Vedic Hindu concepts, about the unity of your mind, your body, and the universe you inhabit.

Fast forward several centuries and you can find reputable sources from within the field of psychology, particularly Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which place emphasis on the idea that our thoughts can significantly influence our emotions and behaviors. A classic case of your vibe, in a sense, attracting your tribe. Additionally, in the world of quantum physics, the Observer Effect posits that the act of observing a particle can alter its state. While this doesn’t mean we can ‘think’ your community into existence, it does introduce a scientific precedent for the idea that consciousness might interact with reality in ways we don’t fully understand. It is clear that we cannot disregard the power of our thoughts and their effect towards actualizing our desires.