#4: The Science Behind Manifestation: How Quantum Physics & Neuroscience Shape Your Reality

It wasn’t until I learned the science behind manifestation that I actually started to believe in it.  

I initially thought it was a bunch of made up BS- of woo woo and wishful thinking for the desperate and delusional. 

Being someone who has a bachelors degree and a doctoral degree in the fields of biology and optometry, I’ve got a very analytical type brain. My brain loves, learning, questioning and knowing the why and how behind things. I can see things from the bigger picture and zoom down to the smaller details of the problem. Having practiced in medicine for 18 years I’ve developed a patterned way of thinking: asking why, analyzing things, looking at possible causes,  outcomes, and consequences, and finding the best solution.

Quantum Physics:

If you remember back to your childhood science classes, you will likely remember learning about atoms and the sub-atomic particles that make up them up. Perhaps you even made the styrofoam ball and stick model of an atom that for the time was thought to be accurate. Protons, neutrons and some orbiting particles called electrons. All matter is made up of these particles, of atoms. The chair in which I’m sitting in writing this and  the device in which you are consuming this on. 

As time went on and science progressed, we found that our earlier conclusions of the atom being solid were also incorrect. An atom is 99.99999% empty space and the rest 0.00001% matter.

The field of quantum physics was created to study energy and the nature of sub-atomic particles. 

It’s interesting when you think about it that way. Everything that seems so solid in our world, the ground we walk on, the chair you sit in, the food you eat, and even you yourself…. Are mostly just … empty space. 

Everyone knows of the famous equation made famous by Albert Einstein, E = mc2. This equation proved that matter is equivalent to energy. 

Everything is energy. 

• Your body… Energy.
• Your thoughts… Energy.
• Your emotions… Energy.

Let’s build on that famous equation of Einstein’s by talking about light. You might think light is just energy at a certain wavelength.  The different wavelengths account for the different colors that we see, such as when light gets bent through water droplets to produce the different colors of a rainbow.  

You can’t feel light when you turn on a light bulb by your desk, but you can feel it’s energy as it heats your skin on a hot summer’s day. 

When physicists went to study light they found some really bizarre findings. 
They noticed that sometimes it behaved as they expected in a wave-like fashion (energy) and sometimes it displayed characteristics that were consistent with particles (matter).  They set out to determine the true nature of light, this is the famous double slit experiment.

What the scientists found was very unexpected. The results showed that it behaved sometimes like a wave of energy and other times like a particle. 

It was essentially both. 

If we pause for a minute to bring this back to the E=mc2 equation, on the one side we have energy. On the other side of the equal sign we have matter. So this experiment showed and proved that sometimes light behaves as a wave of energy and sometimes it behaves as particles of matter, which is the other side of the equal sign of the equation. 

What is bizarre, mind blowing, and intriguing about this double slit experiment in quantum physics is, it was discovered that subatomic particles behave differently when observed—meaning your consciousness impacts reality. 

Scientists found that when subatomic particles (the smallest building blocks of reality) are not being observed, they exist in a wave state of energy—meaning they are just pure potential, nothing fixed. But the moment a conscious observer focuses on them, they collapse into a specific form of particles or matter. This is known as the Observer Effect or Collapsing the wave function.

Crazy isn’t it? That famous experiment has been repeated hundreds of times with the same results.

Before the particle appears in the 3d space it has the potential as a wave of energy to be anywhere in what’s called the quantum field of energy. 

There’s nothing physical in the quantum or unified field. It’s all just energy

🔬 This is known as the Superposition Principle—which means that at the quantum level, all possible outcomes for your life exist simultaneously. Every version of you—wealthy, successful, in love, thriving—is already a potential reality in the quantum field.

The question is: Which version are you tuning into?

💡 Imagine the quantum field like an infinite Netflix library. Every possible movie (aka every possible version of your life) already exists. But the movie that plays on your screen depends on which version you tune into.

So, how do you "tune in" to the reality you want?

When you focus on success, wealth, love, or any desire, you are pulling that version of reality out of the infinite quantum field and making it tangible.

On the flip side...

😟 If you constantly focus on fear, doubt, or scarcity, you're collapsing that version of reality instead.

This is why it’s important to intentionally choose what we want for our life. manifest.  (Side note you are always manifesting but it may be more of the same so it doesn’t feel like you are manifesting or it may be things you don’t want)

What does this mean for manifestation?

✨ Your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions are the remote control for choosing your reality.

When you repeatedly focus on a goal and align your energy (aka emotions and actions) with it, you are literally influencing the quantum field to shape your reality.

How do you connect to the quantum?

We live on 3 planes.  Spiritual, as our consciousness, mental, and the physical plane. 

You are not your body, or just a human. You are not just matter or particles. You are energy, you are a consciousness, a spiritual being that has a mind in a physical body. Everything is energy you are emitting patterns of energy with that information constantly.

Using your mind and your consciousness, you collapse that energy potential into the 3D world. Where is that energy from? From Souce, the Universe, God. You can call it whatever you resonate with. 

Let’s take the science a bit further and discuss quantum entanglement.  This principle means that once two particles are linked they will always remain linked together. What happens to one particle will also happen to the other, even if they are separated by vast distances. Particles can become entangled or linked by forming together, interacting together or coming in close proximity with each other.

The you that exists right now and the you that exists in one of the potential futures that you are envisioning as your dream life are linked together through the quantum via this principle. 

You interact with that possible version of you, or a future you are trying to manifest by putting your intention on it and emotionally connecting to that which you desire to manifest. This creates your electromagnetic field surrounding your body which can be scientifically measured using a device called a magnetoencephalographer.

Thoughts are the electrical signal in the quantum and feelings are the magnetic charge in the field  You are broadcasting a specific electromagnetic signal constantly. Being a match for what you want to manifest is how the Law of Attraction works. 

The Brain & The Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Let's shift to the mental plane and talk for a little about how your brain plays another important part in the manifestation process.  

The Reticular Activating System, or RAS is a small but powerful network of neurons in your brainstem that acts as a filter for your reality. It processes what you focus on and determines what information is important.

Here’s how it works:

🔬 Your brain is exposed to 11 million bits of information every second—but your conscious mind can only process about 40 of them. So, your RAS filters out the “unimportant” stuff and highlights what aligns with your beliefs and focus.

Ever notice that when you decide you want a new car, suddenly you see that exact car everywhere? That’s not magic—it’s your RAS bringing it into your awareness. The same happens when you focus on opportunities, abundance, and success. Your brain starts filtering reality in a way that supports your desires.

🧠 Manifestation Hack:
The more you visualize, intentionally choose your thoughts, and emotionally invest in your goals, the more your RAS works to spot the people, opportunities, and ideas that will help you achieve them.

✨ So, manifestation is not just about thinking—it’s about priming your brain to notice and act on what aligns with your desires.

Let’s say you sit down at a movie theater to watch a scary movie with your significant other. You are engrossed in the thriller movie and before you know it, your body has produced the stress hormones of adrenalin and cortisol causing your palms to become sweaty and your heart rate to speed up. 

Your body is reacting to what your mind is seeing on the screen It doesn’t know it’s not in danger.  

Do you know anyone who is a worrier? Or anyone who is constantly having bad things happen to them? If you are a constant worrier you are producing a stress response on your body. It lowers the immune system making you more prone to getting sick. In a perpetual state of worry, what are you thinking about… that you don’t want to happen? You visualize it, you feel it in your body with emotions. Essentially, you are living that circumstance in the now as if it’s already happened to you. Your RAS is looking for evidence that you are right, that this is going to happen.

By putting focused thought on it, visualizing it, and emotionally connecting it you are collapsing the wave function and manifesting more bad things and more to worry about. 

Here’s another example, the placebo effect.  Why is there a placebo effect in the first place? It happens because the mind thinks that something is going to help it. It’s a belief that it has. The thought (energy) is choosing to think that it will work. It selects that potential in the quantum and collapses that wave function. The body has a physiological response and produces the effect.

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

So, let’s recap the science behind manifestation:

✅ Einsteins equation shows that energy and matter are the same thing. 

✅ Quantum physics proves that everything—including your thoughts—has a vibrational frequency that influences reality. All possibilities exist in the quantum field and therefore are possible to manifest into the 3d.

✅ Your Reticular Activating System (RAS) filters reality based on your beliefs and focus.

✨ Manifestation is not just about “thinking positive” or “wishful dreaming.” It’s about understanding and using scientific principles to shape your reality.

💬 Now, I’d love to hear from you! What was your biggest takeaway from today’s episode? DM me on Instagram @alissaesposito, join my Facebook group called Let’s Manifest and share your manifestation success stories with me!

📢 And if you’re ready to take this even deeper The Modern Manifestation Academy will be opening soon! Inside, I teach you my science based framework for manifestation. You will learn how to rewire your mind, align with high-frequency energy, and create a life of abundance. You’ll get step-by-step trainings, powerful manifestation exercises, and an incredible community.

Spots are limited, so head to the make it happen project.com to get on the waitlist.