The science behind manifestation: How visualisation and writing rewire your mind

If the word manifestation makes you think of vision boards, moon rituals, or asking the universe for a yacht, you’re not alone. But underneath all the aesthetic and the woo (no shade) is something even more interesting: your brain.

Manifestation, at its core, isn’t magic. It’s neuroscience. It’s attention, memory, behaviour, and the little cognitive shifts that help you recognise opportunities you would’ve walked past before.

And here’s the part no one tells you: Your brain is already running a system designed to help you focus on what matters. You just have to learn how to work with it.

That’s where the Creation category in the Fleck Deck comes in. Before you can step toward the life you want, you need to get curious about what matters to you, and clarity on the internal blocks keeping you stuck. Once you have that, the science-backed practices of writing, visualisation and present-tense thinking can genuinely start to move your life in a new direction.

This isn’t about forcing positivity or pretending everything’s perfect. It’s about using the way your brain naturally works — particularly the Reticular Activating System — to create more alignment, more awareness, and more intentional action.

Let’s break down the actual neuroscience behind manifestation, and how you can use it in simple, low-maintenance ways (even with a full life and a full mental load).

The science: Three brain hacks you can use

1. Writing strengthens the “it matters” signal

Research shows that people who write down their goals are significantly more likely to achieve them than those who don’t. For example, one study found that writing goals (vs simply thinking about them) led to a 42% increase in goal attainment. 

If you have a busy life (hello, yep, that’s you), writing something down says: “Hey brain, pay attention to this, it's important to me.” It moves a desire from vague to visible.

2. The Reticular Activating System (RAS): Your brain’s “what to notice” filter

The RAS is a part of your brain's attention system that filters incoming information and highlights what it thinks matters. You know how you suddenly start seeing the exact model pram you were researching everywhere? That’s your RAS doing its job.

When you write down what you want — in detail — you’re basically telling your RAS: “This matters to me.” Suddenly your brain is scanning for matches.

Imagine you decide you want to switch careers, but it would require study and you already have a full-time job, a kid, and a very full life. It feels impossible. But you get clear on why it's important to you, and you write it down.

Then the next time you're scrolling through the episodes of your favourite podcast, there's an episode about someone you admire switching careers, and instead of scrolling straight past it, your brain pays attention to it. A week later, you open an email from a lifestyle publisher you subscribe to and notice an article about going back to study as an adult. Two weeks ago, you might not have even registered that article. But those things keep happening, and all of a sudden, you see that this might actually be possible.

3. Imagined = Real in the brain’s eyes

Studies show that vivid imagining and strongly visualised scenarios activate many of the same brain regions as actual memories. In other words, your brain can get tricked into thinking something is real when you’ve imagined it enough. Forbes+1

So when you write in vivid detail and in present tense — “I am living in my calm, creative space” rather than “I want to live in…” — you’re helping your brain bridge the gap between "not yet" and "already happening".

How the Creation category uses these science hacks (and how to use it)

Your Fleck Deck’s Creation category is built to work with your brain, not against it. Here’s how you can use it (and why it’s structured the way it is):

1. Get clear on what you want. Because if you don’t know why you’re doing this, the brain’s signal is weaker. That’s where the Curiosity + Clarity categories come in.

2. Write it down in present tense whenever possible: “I am… I feel… I see…” rather than “I will… someday I might…”

3. Use detail: the sensory, emotional detail that turns a goal into a lived experience in your mind. How you feel, what you see, what life looks like.

4. See what happens: keep your eyes open for opportunities, nudges, and the “ah-ha” moments your brain begins to show you.

5. Then act: it’s not enough to imagine; your brain’s new filter will bring you possibilities — your next step is to take one.

Writing down your vision, your goals, your future-self isn’t fluffy. It’s strategic. It’s brain-smart. It’s how busy women reclaim some of the mental load, change the way they see what’s possible, and start living instead of just planning.

Pull out your Fleck Deck. Flip to the Creation category. Write as if it’s already happening. And just… see what begins to unfold. Because when you write with presence, detail and intention — your brain starts looking for the pathway instead of creating the barrier.