Can the Law of Attraction Really Affect Your Life?

While the law of attraction lacks scientific support, proponents suggest that it can produce positive changes in a person’s life. Some reasons why people may experience benefits from this philosophy include:

Spiritual Effects

The law of attraction may produce results because it taps into people’s spirituality. Spirituality itself is connected to a variety of health benefits, including:

• Reduced stress
• Better health
• Lower depression
• Better overall well-being

Many people believe that this philosophy works by aligning God or the universe with our wishes. This notion suggests that people are all made of energy, and this energy operates at different frequencies. Because of this, it is essential to change the frequency of energy with positive thoughts, especially gratitude for what we already have.

By using grateful, positive thoughts and feelings and by focusing on our dreams rather than our frustrations, we can change the frequency of our energy. The law of attraction brings positive things into our lives. What we attract depends on where and how we focus our attention, but we must believe it’s already ours or will soon be.

Better Well-Being

Utilizing the law of attraction may also bring about positive impacts on mental well-being. By focusing on attaining a new reality and by believing it is possible, we tend to take more risks, notice more opportunities, and open ourselves up to new possibilities. Conversely, when we don’t believe that something is in the realm of possibilities for us, we tend to let opportunities pass by unnoticed.

When we believe we don’t deserve good things, we behave in ways that sabotage our chances of happiness. By changing our self-talk and feelings about life, we reverse the negative patterns in our lives and create more positive, productive, and healthy ones. One good thing leads to another, and the direction of a life can shift from a downward spiral to an upward ascent.

Our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviors, so we need to be mindful of the words we use when speaking to ourselves. Our self-talk can become our reality.

— Rachel Goldman, PhD

Research on optimism shows that optimists enjoy better health, greater happiness, and more success in life. They possess traits that allow them to focus their thoughts on their successes and mentally minimize their failures.²

One of the foundations of many types of therapy is that changing your self-talk can change your life in a positive direction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a widely used and effective treatment for many conditions, is based on the idea that identifying and changing automatic negative thoughts can produce positive effects and help people achieve better mental well-being.

Golman continues, “And if we are feeling good, that shows! When we feel good about ourselves, we present ourselves differently and we become like a magnet and attract others with similar energy.” 

Pros and Cons

One study found that people who believe in manifestation also feel that they are more successful, have higher aspirations, and are more likely to succeed in the future. While this may be helpful for goal-setting, researchers also found that these people were more likely to make risky investments, have higher rates of bankruptcy, and underestimate how long it would take them to achieve a goal.