can the brain DISTINGUISH between what is “REAL” (in the 3D) and what is IMAGINED (in the 4D)? 🧠✨
the NEUROSCIENCE of REALITY SHIFTING/LAW OF ASSUMPTION
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i know sometimes when we talk about reality shifting and the law of assumption, it can feel like magic, and it really is!
so i wanted to start a new series where i explore the science behind it, or more specifically the correlations i observe between scientific literature and spiritual manifestation philosophies! 🫶
this first post addresses the idea that YOUR BRAIN CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHYSICAL REALITY (3D) AND IMAGINED REALITY (4D)!
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☀️✨ your brain’s reality and imagination OVERLAP deeply
research shows that when you vividly imagine something,
your brain activates similar neural patterns as when you actually perceive it in the physical realm (Dijkstra et al., 2021).
⤷ your brain treats vivid imagination and real perception in a similar way.
if you assume yourself into a new reality strongly enough,
your brain can’t fully distinguish between what is “imagination” and what is “actual experience”. it just responds as if it’s happening.
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☀️✨ your brain uses “signal strength” to decide what’s real
another study (Dijkstra & Fleming, 2023) found that:
the mind COMBINES both real and imagined signals and decides something is “real” if it feels strong enough.
⤷ when you assume something with enough emotion, focus, and vividness, your brain accepts it as reality and starts building your experience around it.
so when you shift realities or assume a new self concept,
you’re literally feeding stronger signals into your system, until your whole brain and body accept it as true.
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recent neuroscience research (Dijkstra et al., 2021) explored how vividly imagining something can activate the brain in ways that closely resemble real perception.
the brain scan figure above shows that certain brain regions — including the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) — are significantly modulated by how vivid an individual’s mental imagery is, and how visible a physical stimulus is.
the stronger and more vivid your imagination, the more your brain treats it as if it were real perception.
interestingly, the early visual cortex (evc), which is a brain region crucial for vision, responded differently:
• vivid imagination produced neural patterns more similar to low-visibility perception
• while “real” (physical) perception during high visibility matched more vivid imagery.
💡✨ this means that even if your imagined experience feels “lighter” than seeing something with your eyes open, your brain is still processing it as real enough to influence your perception of reality (Dijkstra et al., 2021).
⤷ if you imagine vividly enough, your brain starts accepting your assumptions as real experiences.
this beautifully correlates with the idea behind manifestation and reality shifting:
the more vividly and consistently you assume something is real, the more your brain and your consciousness work together to make it true. and that truth is ultimately what is reflected back to you in the 3D (physical). in a sense, your brain literally weaves imagination into reality. so use that to your advantage!!
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☀️✨ is unconscious imagination real too?
research is also exploring how imagination can happen unconsciously (Jaworska, 2024).
the study referenced above suggests that:
your deeper mind is constantly imagining and projecting possibilities without you even realizing it.
so not only are you consciously shifting with affirmations, intention and focus, but your subconscious is also weaving your path in the background.
essentially, you’re ALWAYS creating. even when you’re not actively thinking about it!
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💫✨ plus: traditional neuroscience findings still correlate with shifting
♡ your brain’s neural pathways change based on belief.
• this is a phenomenon referred to as neuroplasticity.
when you affirm a new assumption over and over (ex. “i am successful”), your brain literally rewires itself to treat that assumption as true.
♡ your reticular activating system (RAS) focuses your perception.
• when you assume something, your RAS filters reality to show you evidence matching that assumption so that you experience more of it.
♡ deep meditation states make shifting easier.
• when you’re relaxed (theta/delta brainwaves), your subconscious is wide open to suggestion. that’s why shifting techniques often make use of deep relaxation, meditation or even falling asleep!
^ i’ll definitely be making more posts discussing the above concepts in FURTHER DETAIL, so keep an eye out! there’s lots of literature available right now about it, so i highly suggest looking into it if you’re interested! 🤍✨
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you are always shifting realities, whether you realize it or not.
you are always shaping your world with your assumptions. reality is yours to choose. <3
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1. Dijkstra N, Fleming SM. Subjective signal strength distinguishes reality from imagination. Nat Commun. 2023 Mar 23;14(1):1627. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37322-1. PMID: 36959279; PMCID: PMC10036541.
2. Dijkstra N, Mazor M, Kok P, Fleming S. Mistaking imagination for reality: Congruent mental imagery leads to more liberal perceptual detection. Cognition. 2021 Jul;212:104719. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104719. Epub 2021 Apr 18. PMID: 33878636; PMCID: PMC8164160.
3. Jaworska A. Conscious imagination vs. unconscious imagination: a contribution to the discussion with Amy Kind. Front Psychol. 2024 Jul 25;15:1310701. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1310701. PMID: 39118843; PMCID: PMC11306181.
✨ NOTE: i recognize that not everyone reading this may come from a scientific background, or even desire to dive into the full technical details of the neuroscience mechanisms and topics i discussed here. for that reason, the content of this post is intentionally simplified to make the core ideas more accessible, while still staying true to the scientific literature referenced above. if you’re interested in a deeper dive, i HIGHLY recommend giving the original papers a read! 🫶 additionally, while i integrated scientific findings into this post, my overall discussion remains interpretive and spiritually oriented, reflecting the bridge between neuroscience research and manifestation philosophy, as well as expressing the correlations i observed between the two.✨
sending so much love and light! <3
