Another article from a local new age publication, "Aquarius."
"Manifestation
by Julia Griffin
"Manifestation is our god-given ability to create. We all have the ability to create and become creators. If this is true, then why aren't we all happy? Why don't we create what we want all of the time? The first answer is that manifestation is a scientific and intuitive process with steps that must be followed. The second answer is that we are all creating all of the time. Unfortunately, we tend to create what we don't want instead of what we want, and we do this because we are culturally programmed to do so.
We all create unknowingly each day through the repetition of thoughts and feelings that are habitual. It is not far-fetched to say that our culture is the creation or manifestation of the mass consciousness. We are all held in place by this dream, until we decide to awaken and assume our role of creator. There is only one way to knowingly escape what is known in Tibetan dream yoga as our waking nightmare, and this process is through active manifestation or creative consciousness.
How do we break this pattern of being the victim of our habitual thoughts and learn to create a desired reality? We need to cultivate the knowledge that each time we watch television, read a newspaper, or discuss our problems with a friend that we are creating unhappiness, fear, doubt or what we don't want. Much of aging is created by simply our mental ruminations about age or the reactions of those around us about the number that we claim as our age. Try seeing yourself as five years younger each time you look in the mirror and see what happens. You should see positive changes in a few weeks.
It is an amazing reality that when we change the pictures in our mind, our thoughts and feelings also change. Very simply, we all see the world from the viewpoint of the hologram. A hologram is a living, breathing picture of reality. We see our selves, our friends, and our future in holograms. When we learn to change the picture in our minds, reality must change.
Changing the hologram or mental/ physical picture is only part of manifestation. There are several distinct steps to manifestation, as taught in alchemy and hermetics:
All manifestation must begin with desire. It can only be known completely in the heart. Our desire to create must be pure. It must benefit our higher self as well as others. This knowledge will always come through the intuitive mind, and we must have a burning desire for it. Nothing will manifest without this deep heartfelt desire.
When we meditate, when we are quiet, we know that intent is real. We must contact the intuitive mind and pull in the thought. We can never contact it through our thoughts or emotions. A simple way to connect before visualizing is to bring pink light into the heart chakra. Stay with the meditation until you are no longer experiencing any distracting thoughts or feelings. Move into seeing the hologram of your manifestation.
We must focus on the thought completed until it becomes reality. For example, if you want a new job, then see yourself in the job. Don't think about what the job should be or how you can find it. See your self receiving a certain salary and enjoying the job. If you don't know what the job is, then simply contact the light within and stay with it. When you have intuitions, write them down.
After visualizing the hologram in detail, feel the calm and peace. Connect with them. Protect the visualization with a four-sided blue pyramid.
Practice the meditation at least once and preferably twice each day for fifteen minutes.
As soon as your manifestation begins to 'take' or begins to seem real, one of two things will happen. You will be tempted to tell all of your friends about what seems to be happening (please don't, they will dispel the energy of the creation), or you will doubt that you can manifest anything.
The doubt and fear are real parts of manifestation. The lower mind or ego longs to destroy the manifestation, and we must overcome the doubt or fear by changing our hologram. In other words, if your mind says, 'this will never work' or 'I'll never get a new job,' you must immediately see a picture of yourself at the new job, smiling and happy. If a friend or acquaintance says something similar to you, it is very effective to rewind the scene in your mind and replay it with the desired result.
The big question is: how long does it take to manifest a desire? The answer is that it depends on three things: your personal karma and how you work through it; how devoted you are to your manifestation process; and how much you believe in it. Faith is an integral part of manifestation. The energy body can also be developed through yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, or simply making proper choices. The greater the energy body, the more quickly the manifestation will take place."
http://www.aquarius-atlanta.com/jan05/create.shtml